Jacob's Angel--A Poem

Copyright (C) 1997 by William Mistele.  All rights reserved.

                          Jacob's Angel

Grasping a better hold as he wrestled with the angel, 
Balanced, poised, muscles flexed, teeth clenched, 
Jacob spoke, his jaw next to the angel's ear: 
What is it to dwell in a body made of fire
Its very radiance so penetrating 
The mountains and seas are transparent
And the stars are no more distant from you 
Than my hands upon your skin in this moment?  
And what is it to have eyes that see through the ages 
The gates of all realms stand open before your gaze
So nothing is hidden anywhere in creation?
What is it to have hands so luminous 
The Divine turns to you to accomplish its will?
And tell me, when you love,
What is it like to love when your love 
Arises from a sea of infinite bliss
So every abyss is filled 
And darkness is forever banished from your vision?
And the angel replied: 
I will share with you my essence
If you can sustain your hold
And bind me without fear 
For I am not permitted to keep one secret 
From those who master themselves.
I am the perfection of concentration so great
The elements of nature obey when I speak 
Earth, air, water, and fire respond to my will
My every desire to fulfill. 
You may think such power beyond belief or imagination
But I do not act in isolation 
As one who would make himself great 
To demonstate his power over fate.
When I meditate I am embraced 
By countless beings of love and might 
Who guard and guide all paths of wisdom and all evolutions,
With both mortal and divine I join my heart and mind 
I unite with all who celebrate the Light
Embracing all of creation. 
And in our celebration
Our joy is so great
There is no longer any separation
Between the Light we embrace and the love within our hearts.
You may think only an angel may speak thus 
But I tell you with words of prophecy
And with a voice of thunder and a tongue of divine fire,
If you strive and abide with me through all watches of this night 
Until dawn's first light 
You shall discover that I, with all my power, 
Am but a small part of your own heart.
Jacob said: you speak of a mystery beyond the power of belief.
It is more than what I seek.
Oh Jacob, the angel said, 
The seed which dreams of spring
Sleeping in silence beneath the earth
Knows not that spring is already within its heart
As is the soil, the wind, the rain, the earth
And the star that calls out: Arise and come forth.
But form and limitation have been created 
That the seed in growing into a tree
Might one day understand its journey
And as water, minerals, light, and air
Revive and renew its being
It shall perceive when the time is ripe
That life has no end
And that form is but the shell where spirit dwells.
Then it shall send its roots down into eternity
And release upon the wind seeds 
Giving birth to new worlds, new dreams, new destinies.
The soul unfolds, blossoming in due season, 
Until its beauty shines so bright 
Its light transforms the world.
Jacob, behold! I hold in my hands 
The twelve fruits of the Tree of Life 
Which are for the healing of the nations.
Take them from me if you can!
Then Jacob put forth all his might
With a mind like steel
And a will as sharp as a diamond knife 
To pierce the heart of the angel
And to steal what has been concealed from mankind for ages.
And, for a moment, Jacob accomplished his goal:
Jacob's eyes became the angel's, his hands bright like the sun,
Their hearts merged and with the angel's body he was one. 
Then Jacob saw what the angel's light 
Was created both to conceal and to reveal:
A love of such magnitude 
The entire multitude of heavenly choirs falter and fail
Their voice silenced before its magnificence.
Then Jacob asked, Is there a human being in all the world
Who has the strength, the power, or the heart to persist 
In a vision such as this, to bring a small part
Back to the earth that it might be shared 
And celebrated forever by those who love?
And angel replied, 
If this is your wish I shall grant it
For now the sun is almost come 
And eternity commands me: Return home. 
And then the angel spoke with a voice of thunder
Resonate and tender like Gabriel's 
Vibrant and mighty like Michael's
Declaring:  The history of the world 
Shall revolve around your will. 
Nations shall rise and fall in this quest.
Though some would twist and bend it to their own ends
Those who read the signs shall find a pathway to the divine
As you have found mine.
Then Jacob said, Wait! One last request before you go, 
One last question still burns within my soul: 
You who are everywhere and from whom nothing is hidden,
Your voice a billion stars shouting with delight, 
Will you wrestle with me again another night?
The angel gazed into Jacob's eyes and then replied,
Within you is the answer to your question.
As I have said, I am but a small part of your own heart.