An Angel in the Cloud

There

shel­tered from the wolves and cold

Dear lit­tle lambs with­in the fold

Are watched with more than shep­herd’s care

No harm be­falls the weak­est there.

Sweet dar­ling on thy mo­ther’s knee

Sleeping as sleeps a wave at sea.

Rocked on the bil­lows of her breast

Thy sleep em­blems thy fu­ture rest.

There is an an­gel in the room

Whose pre­sence

like the star­ry bloom

Of Heav­en

ra­di­ates the light

As though the sun arose at night.

That an­gel whis­pered to the child

And then the lit­tle cher­ub smiled

It told the sin­less babe to fly

To realms of beau­ty in the sky.

The angel van­ished

and a cloud

Came with a cof­fin and a shroud

But Heav­en

re­flect­ed in a tear

Displayed a white wing ho­ver­ing near.

So let us live that we may all

Find soft wings on our shoul­ders fall;

There’s room enough for all above

For Heav­en is vast as bound­less love.