The Four Angels

Angel and Sun (Foto: Rakicevic Nenad via Pexels)
Angel and Sun (Foto: Rakicevic Nenad via Pexels)

Everywhere is night, there is no light in the world – and that annoyed me. Therefore, I sent out four angels into the world, which should dispel the darkness.

The Four Angels - Visual Poem (Text: Martin Duehning)
The Four Angels – Visual Poem (Text: Martin Duehning)

The Four Angels

Everywhere is night, there is no light in the world – and that annoyed me.
Therefore, I sent out four angels into the world, which should dispel the darkness:

First I sent out the Angel of the West, the angel of friendship.
But no matter how much he searched in the great wide world, he found nothing,
For the world was so laden with guilt and grief that friendship was no more.
And he returned to me empty-handed and despondent.

Thereupon I sent the Angel of the North, who has the power to banish dark spirits.
And he banished many demons and made them harmless.
He illuminated the darkest corners and burned the idol altars.
But against the most powerful of the demons, Death, he could do nothing in the end.
And he returned to me sad and despondent.

Thereupon I sent the Angel of the East with the sword of fire, who has the power to set boundaries,
And he built up four sacred walls in all directions, so that no enemy would be able to harm me.
And there he has kept watch ever since and is flying his rounds.

At last I sent the Angel of the South, the angel of justice.
I sent him to all those who suffered from the world – for I thought:
How much more do all those need help who have no angels themselves!
And the angel raised up all those who were sick, the sad, those to whom evil happened in the world,
And he spoke courage to them, and he told them the glad tidings of the time of the Sun,
Which may come when the time of the night is past.
And the angel returned no more unto me.
But I thought: This then is what is meant by „bearing my cross“.

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Martin Dühning, geb. 1975, studierte Germanistik, kath. Theologie und Geschichte in Freiburg im Breisgau, arbeitet am Hochrhein-Gymnasium in Waldshut und ist Gründer, Herausgeber und Chefredakteur von Anastratin.de.