From These Dark Angels Poem by Mary Angela Douglas

Lord God of hosts deliver us

from these dark angels hovering near

ruling the precincts of our fear;

from tides we cannot see

but feel when we are afflicted unreasonably

despite all signs of progress in the West

despite the faith that we confess

invisible armies gather innumerably

and lay siege.

you know of these by rank and each as each

we cannot see them

yet we feel

an unexpected gloom and powerless to wield

as you the right commands to sunder them in two.

let them be banished from this blue green earth

before the accomplished time

we are sick from the dearth of it all

and we are small

to fight against invisible things.

and we are Thine.

let your bright rings dapple the earth and sky

and ripple through it all

the music we first heard

from every leaf and bird

restore to us, o God we pray

in everything we think or say

the garden invincible

at first we thought we knew

would always be ours,

with You.

mary angela douglas 27 september 2019