Birth of an Angel

for Suzanne Elizabeth 

The first big snow of the year

bursts with laughter in the backyard,

the forsythia and dogwood capsizing

under the weight where his daughter

plays in a white maze of discovery,

her small arms sweeping wings

under a moon-swept sky.

He feels creation in his heart,

the mill wheel spin,

the birth of a child without sin.

Millions of hexagons drift from heaven,

a mysterious map of the universe

hidden in each eye

spiraling toward infinity,

while the weak December sky

promises miracles,

whitewashes the land

where she is waving an angel,

throwing curveballs every which way,

the pure, delicate arcs

bridging the two of them

in a milky circle of light.

“Birth of an Angel” was originally published in Cape Rock Review, 1992.