This is a gift for Cafelatte100 based on her request for Good Omens poetry. I've forgotten how much l loved poetry in school and I had a wonderful time writing this. I've been reading a lot of Shakespeare, John Donne and William Blake lately and also took some inspiration from the Psalms of David, Milton and Dante while writing this.
This is non-slash but it could be read either way; also could be either book or TV-verse. I deliberately left this open to interpretation. Also, this is blank verse but doesn't exactly follow iambic pentameter, although that style heavily influenced how I structured this poem.
Cafelatte100, I hope you enjoy this and that it gives you a small measure of peace and comfort in these difficult times. To my other readers, thank you as always for your support and kind words. I appreciate you guys so much!
Branches of Heaven
Soft autumn's light faded into cool night,
The fallen leaves were swept by the wind's breath.
Strands of flaxen hair moved like grass in the wind,
While golden eyes followed the movement of leaves.
Two immortal beings walked down a familiar path,
To where a warm hearth and wine awaited them.
As day gave way to his darker sister,
The night with gleaming companions emerged.
No moon shone that night but the pair did not mind,
For they were able to see the stars,
And trace patterns in the constellations.
They shared a secret glance full of knowledge,
For both of them knew what the other saw.
A celestial tree of stars and fire,
Forged in friendship and kindness.
And as the stars emerged and shone brighter,
Both remembered how such a tree had been born.
Come with me, said the demon to the angel,
One day when the world was newly made.
And they had met in a garden long ago,
Before hatred and cruelty made the world old.
Come and see what I have made, said the demon,
Let me show you yet another tree not of this world.
Through the heavenly boundaries they traveled,
Moving through oceans of stars and planets.
They passed gleaming comets and fiery meteors,
And traveled through rivers of ice and vapour.
Until they came upon a most wondrous sight,
So unlike anything ever seen, or would be seen again.
A sight that no mortal would ever witness,
For this was reserved for only one being.
They had come upon a nebula, brilliant and radiant,
Swirling with colours beyond imagination.
The demon led the angel further into the clouds,
His path clear and lit by countless stars.
In the midst of all this was a wondrous tree,
But it was more beautiful than any tree in Eden.
Its trunk was a map of stars, each one shining bright,
And its branches were more graceful than a willow tree.
The stars hung like dewdrops on the branches,
A few fell like spring rain upon the angel's brow.
They lingered there, beading into a gleaming band,
A crown of starlight soon formed on his brow.
In awe did the angel stare at this sight,
How had his companion made such a thing?
Truly this is more lovely than anything yet that I have seen,
He told his companion in amazement.
I am glad, said the demon, for it is for you I made this.
I do not understand, spoke the angel,
How is it this is for me?
Surely I have done naught to deserve such a gift?
I was lost, a wanderer in Sheol, said the demon,
Cast down with my brethren into the pit.
I had neither shelter nor companion,
The darkness and silence consumed my soul.
My heart was an abyss of despair,
I longed to see the face of the divine.
But my questions and prayers went unanswered,
There was neither comfort nor joy for me.
I then raged and pleaded in vain,
Until my will and courage fled me.
Nothing had meaning for me from henceforth.
Until the Lord of the Flies bade me go,
Go, she said, into the garden where humans dwell.
See how they laugh and play and have no worries,
We shall see how much they honour their maker.
I did as commanded and entered Eden,
And listened as the Lord gave commandments.
The fruit of the forbidden tree was my goal.
I tempted the woman and she ate the fruit,
And the humans were cast out.
I then saw a figure robed in white,
It was an angel whose vigilance was true.
Intrigued, I dared come nearer in my serpentine form,
To this Principality who did not shy away.
You showed no fear though it would have been wiser,
To fight or flee from a demonic foe.
And when the storm clouds broke and the first rain fell,
I did not know whether the drops were blessed or cursed.
But before even one drop could land there you were,
Your feathers and your wing sheltered me.
I had no means to repay your kindness,
Which you gave so freely and with such trust.
My own wings are not meant to protect,
And I would not taint you by responding in kind.
Thus I formed this celestial tree of stars,
See how it reaches into the firmament?
As you shielded me once with your wing,
So have I done the same with these stars.
The tree and its branches are my wings,
These stars are my feathers stretching over you.
In silence and awe did his friend listen,
His eyes gazed with wonder upon the stars.
Many radiant creations he had witnessed,
Since time had dawned and the Creator had rested.
The angel saw beauty in all of eternity,
From the greatest heights to the farthest depths.
He had seen the first rainbow bridge Heaven and Earth,
And watched as storms and lightning cleansed the ground.
The sun, moon, stars and planets did he witness form,
And the greatest of all creations, humanity be born.
But here amongst this falling shower of stars,
Surrounded by stardust true beauty lay.
His heart was too full to utter mere words,
He dared not speak lest he break this blessed silence.
Slender fingers reached out towards the branches,
While delicate hands brushed against shining strands.
How could he deserve such devotion?
Surely this was too much for his simple gesture?
For a sheltering wing during falling rain?
When his companion grew wary and worried,
The angel finally found his voice and spoke.
I knew naught what my actions met so long ago,
But I would do so again and again for you.
My wings will always be a shelter unto you,
And you need never ask if you are welcome.
Many a time since then I have often felt guarded,
As if some unseen force was close yet so far.
This celestial tree and its heavenly reach,
Bring me more joy and comfort than deserved.
I swear I shall treasure this gift for eternity,
And these stars will bear witness to my oath.
His companion listened the angel's words,
And his heart grew lighter with rare peace.
This precious moment would stay forever,
Safe in the deepest recesses of their hearts.
Sweet memory echoed between them,
As remembrance pulled them back to that time.
A time when the world was still young,
And the stars were still fresh and bright.
When an angel and a demon as companions joined,
Created their own Heaven from kindness divine.