The
Doll
Kathy Loun Stilley
There
lay a mans bleeding heart
No
longer strength within to try
Hope
so forgotten, lost long ago
Again
he hangs his head to cry.
Tears
of many years have fallen
There
now are no more to come
They
to have vanished as his hope
That
his life would matter, to just one.
No
one but he could feel such pain
In
this life riddled with such despair
As
he lay restless, cold and hungry
No
hands offered to him with care.
Anonymous,
yet visible to so many
Malnourished,
twas so frail and thin,
He
searches for food to ease hunger
Consuming
spoils from a garbage bin.
Wondering
through the darkness
Seeking
shelter, so cold and alone
He
comes upon a desolate alley
Crawling
in a box, he now calls home.
Closing
His eyes he drifts to sleep
Through
the sorrow, no longer seen
But
the sweetest of memories of so
long
ago filled each and every dream.
Held
within the depth of his heart
That
filled His dreams with peace
Were
cherished ones he so loved
With
whom he so longed to be.
Dreamful
tears of sadness and joy
Thoughts
of wife and child now gone
Taken
from this world so long ago
Causing
his life from others withdrawn.
Suddenly
his dreamy sleep is ended
As
he awakens to cries of a child
Crawling
from shelter, into bitter cold
He
walked what seemed for miles.
Making
his way through the darkness
Following
the cries that filled the air
Walking
what seemed to be for hours
To
reach the child's cry of despair.
Feeling
though his heart would break,
Afraid
they would all misunderstand
Why
he a man tattered and broken
Would
come unless looking for a hand.
Only
but a brief moment he hesitated,
Then
he knocked upon their door
Opening
to little eyes filled with wonder
Asking…
Are you the angel I prayed for?
Telling
the man her prayers so many
For
God's angel messenger to come
To
take a special message to heaven
One
for so new an angel, her mom.
"Please
will you take for me a message?
Tell
my mommy... I miss and love her so,
And
tell her the Christmas doll never bought
doesn't
matter, It is her I so wish to hold.
The
man that journeyed far from home
Had
to fight back the flood of tears
This
was the first time in so long
He
was looked on with love, not fear.
Kneeling
down he spoke so softly
I've
traveled for such a long while
Following
your cry that filled the air
Being
led, as if you were my child.
Taking
the doll from within His coat
Telling
her, His child needed it no more,
For
now she too plays with angels all day
And
walks and talks with the Lord.
The
mans eyes filled with tearful joy
Seeing
her tears with smile replaced
As
he turned to make his journey home
His
thoughts on brighter day that waits.
Making
it but half way home from travel
He
lay on a park bench to rest awhile
No
thoughts of himself, only loved ones
Slowly
drifted off with such peaceful sigh.
In
his dreams his daughter came to him
To
her Father who lay cold and alone
Within
his dreams softly she whispers
Daddy,
I've come to take you home.
The
beat of his heart no longer present
For
that night he froze in winters cold
Yet
his life will continue forevermore
For
his heart he allowed God to hold.
Upon
the winds God sent a child’s cry
That
brought him out Christmas night
Knowing
he'd follow the cries that called
As
if following the path of God's light.
He
made his way to the journeys end
Love
ones beckoning, guiding his way
Both
were standing beside Jesus waiting
As he
walked through the golden gates.