The Phoenix

At the dawn of her creation

The heavens smiled

They knew that she

Was a beautiful gem

Forged with fire and strength

Radiant and brilliantly bright

Only a master craftsman

Could compose such a wonderful representation

Of His own creative arts

Imbuing this lovely creature

With the fathomless capabilities

The awesome, wonderful, yet deadly ability

To create and to destroy

To give beauty, life, and love

Or to thrash and burn it all down

He held hope in His hand as He breathed unending light into His creation

And the world held it's breath

Heaven held it's breath

Watching the first time wings unfurled

Majestic crest rose, and she took flight

At once, she found that she must struggle

Against powers that would snuff her light

Too afraid of the force she could be

Of the light she may cast

Upon those who languish in dark, forgotten corners

The beast, the enemy of her light and love

Crept in the shadows,

Watching, waiting

For his chance to pounce

Rip off her wings, and tramp out her light

As she soared and rose

He crafted and schemed

As she delivered promise and hope

He dealt in brokenness and despair

The two ran counter to one another

Yet the creature's creator worked as well

Blowing gentle gusts

Beneath her wonderous wings

Holding her aloft, giving her views yet unseen

And illuminating the places

Where the enemy sought to scheme

She grew in her grace and skill

Flourishing and spreading light

Until she perched upon a ridge

Where she thought she could find peace

A fellow traveler met her there

With sweet promises to journey too

Together, as the whispers went,

They could be more

Together, two as one

A force to behold

What once was beautiful, pure in hope

Turned violent, wretched, dark and cold

Snaky, sinewy tendrils of decay

Found their way into the iridescent heart

Of the once shining bird

Flickers spread across the sky

Yet no one knew from where it came

Though lives would ever be reduced

From the impact wrought by shame and blame

Forever threatening to maim

The wonderful glow of a spirit full of life

The creature continued

Wounded yet bold

To fly the world

Finding beauty in broken, discarded and torn

Uniquely gifted to shine light to the dark

Skills and gifts bestowed by creation

Marred but not shattered, now had new purpose

Too crafty the enemy

Too devious by far

He hated her beauty,

Despised her grace,

Sought her destruction

Once for all ending the gifts she was once made to share

Again, a plot was begun

To tempt the creature with gifts of her heart

Hope, love, and unity

Twisted by humanity and the fall

Her new companion, though equally beautiful in his own right

Burdened by a forever thorn

She saw but did not know

How great his wound bled

Until she again was shot through

Splattered by the dark spray

That shot from his side

Covering majestic wings

And penetrating to marrow, until she could fly no more

A soundless clap of thunder shook the sky

As the once majestic, beautiful bird

Began to falter

Flap after flap to keep aloft, proved fruitless and in vain

She could not will herself to sustain this path

At last, sensing no hope

She gave in, stopped fighting, and resolved to crash and burn

Some watched her fall, with a shake of the head

Too few knew the beauty they had lost

As hardship and toil had tarnished her sheen

They only knew that a disaster had befallen another of God's creature's

So she crashed to the Earth with little to mourn

Crumpled, helpless and forgotten in a dark and lonely ravine

With a final great breath, her passion burned through

A great, terrible wail ensconced in flame

As she burned inward, searing out all that was good

She fell to ash, beauty no more

The Creator, who once took joy in her life

Cast His gaze to her where she lay

A pile of smoldering ash, nothing remained

He wept at the sight and the loss of such grace

Though His purposes were not yet complete

Stirring a finger among all the ash

He spoke gently and lovingly, coaxing a stir

For He knew that the heart,

Burning bright, Burning true

Still carried an ember, her purpose not through

His breath in the words of His love and delight

Carried to a place not stirred in so long

The creature's thoughts were twinges

But she feared to dare hope

As if to lie still

Meant her spirit truly gone

Yet it was too late, the flame had begun

Flickering, twisting, glowing

Burning, raging, swirling

Flames burst from the spot

A cyclonic whirl to the sky

The Phoenix daring to be reborn

To return

To the sky...