To the Angel Taken Too Soon

To the Angel Taken Too Soon

Rev. Peter T. Atkinson

For Abigail on her 30th birthday:

Please know little angel that when we cry,

Because we had to see you die,

Instead of having you here with us,

It’s not because we do not trust. 

We know you’re in a better place,

Where the sun never sets upon your face,

Where light’s radiance always shines

And eternal health never declines, 

Where sense is made of every conceit

And hearts all keep their steady beat,

Where love’s embrace is always tight

And every feeling you have is right. 

But here for us it’s not like that

Here faith we seem to need work at

Here we long, for we cannot see

What our hearts should know to be

We long for our arms to be full again

We long to laugh as we did then,

We long for the times we cried together,

Not alone, adrift, a falling feather, 

For alone we feel especially now

We need to get a glimpse somehow

Of truth surpassing what we see,

Can you speak a little word to me? 

And from our memory we hear,

“You’re in God’s hands, so never fear,

I showed you how to laugh and live

And that love is something that you give.”

And so little angel taken too soon,

We’ll try to live your happy tune,

Our Faith inside is now awake

Though our heart feels like it’s going to break.


and here is a sequel, written two years later. . . 
Two Years an Angel too Soon