My Angels

I sit in a corner, shadow hiding my face,
No-one knows I'm here.
Salty tears roll slowly down my cheeks,
As I remember my torment.
The name-calling, the imitations, all because
No-one understood my life,
Or me.
A candle flickers in the distance,
The light grows stronger, as it draws near,
And soon the shadow surrounding me weakens.
I can't see the face of my saviour,
But they're surrounded by a halo of white.
The candle dims for a moment, as if caught in a faint breeze.
When is resurges to full strength, more flames spark into existence.
They are constantly moving, impossible to count,
But I know that the bearers are not my enemies, but likened to Angels.
The candles are lowered, as the beings kneel beside me,
Their faces still masked by the fire-light.
They place their burdens on the ground, by my feet,
And that's when I can look into their eyes,
And learn who they are...
Several pairs of hands gently grasp my bare arms,
And raise me to my feet.
The warmth of their caring touch stops the wretched shivering of my flesh,
And they steer my unsteady steps out of the darkness, and into the light.
All but one pair of hands release me, but none of them leave,
Instead, they all move and embrace me, enveloping me with their love.
And all the while, I continue looking into the eyes of one Angel,
And in those eyes, I see the Goddess. Nothing less.
Knowing that She has done her Will, She steps back,
And allows her companions to take control.
As my Lady fades from sight, I glance behind me,
At the shadowed corner that was my home, and see the candles burning low.
As I watch, one by one, they go out, and I know,
I'll never end up in that corner again.
At least not willingly. Or alone.
Surrounded by light, I look at the faces of my Angels.
I know them all.
The names spring unbidden to my lips,
And with each one spoken, my strength returns.
I mirror the embrace of my saviours, a smile crossing my face,
And vow to my Goddess, never to take for granted,
The friends who saved my life from darkness and despair.
My heart goes out to every one of them,
And I know, I'll never be
Alone again.