Poem: "Whose Guardian"
Here is today's freebie. It was inspired by a prompt from rix_scaedu. It also fills the "atonement" square in my 8-12-13 card for the Hurt/Comfort Bingo fest. This poem belongs to the series Fledgling Grace.
Whose Guardian
"Run," a voice whispers,
and the woman runs
before the man's hands
can close around her.
"You're in danger,"
a voice warns,
and the boy escapes
before the man can hit him.
When the police come
to collect the fledermaus
for previous crimes,
his guardian angel is grateful
and breathes no word of warning.
It is his place to stand guard
not over his charge,
but over his charge's victims.
"It's so hard," the guardian angel says.
"I thought it would get easier
now that people can hear me better."
The archangel
folds a shining wing around him
and replies, "If it were easy,
it would do little to expunge your sins."
The criminal, whose guardian angel
used to be a murderer before repenting,
glares poisonously at the police.
"Watch him," the angel warns them.
"He means to hurt you if he can."
The police load their captive
carefully into the patrol car,
never taking their eyes off him.
"Have faith," the archangel says.
"You are doing well."
The guardian angel nods,
gliding away to follow his charge
and keep safe those who must go near him.
It is enough to know that in some small way
this atones for the sins of the past.
It is not always obvious
whose guardian an angel is,
but it is always just.