by Jason Kirk Bartley

Though life sometimes kicks me in the knees,
my eyes get so watery, 
I can barely see.
I continue on confident and sure,
in the whirling breeze,
walking and blazing a path through the brush and the trees.
In this forest called “life,”
I know not where I am,
or where to go.
My instinct tells me straight,
my mind tells me “no.”
It’s getting very dark,
but I have my lantern lit,
stars and the moon are out,
looking down on me,
shining their light,
“God, send me an angel on this perilous night!”
In the distance, 
coyotes begin to howl,
bats flutter in the night sky.
My angel arrives in the form of a passer-by.
He begins to direct our path,
compass in hand,
leading our way,
through this foreign land,
as if He had hold of God’s own hand,
across the old creek,
and zig-zagging through the woods,
these are decisions I have made,
the “if’s, “and’s,” or “could’s,”
I follow God’s own messenger
through the woods.
Finally, it all leads to a familiar place,
I can see my father,
who has finished his race,
my brother’s there also to greet
me in a sweet embrace,
and a smile with care.
I turn around to look at God’s messenger.
He’s vanished in the cold night air.
By now, my breath vanishes,
as I breathe vapors in the wind.
I pray to God to send me the angel once
again.
No answer, though, this time.
I had made it home,
through the dark and lostness,
no more to roam. 

Jason Kirk Bartley is a Christian poet. He is from Chillicothe, Ohio. He is 47 years old and married to Nila, his forever love. He has a Master’s degree in Ministry from Ohio Christian University.