Messenger of Love

A messenger of love
had painted the world
with peaceful strokes,
reinventing a vision
of love and beauty—
he stayed here
for just a little while
but he left behind
the world beyond
their wildest imagination—
Look! Can you see it
in the outline of the moon,
in the smile of a young girl,
arranging flowers in patterns
of stars?

A messenger of love
didn’t say a word—
he just painted a picture
with his eyes,
and all who knew him
saw the message
that stirred their souls—
someone saw a beautiful
red rose, nestled in his heart,
someone else, a vision
of God,
someone else, a mist
of stardust in his hair,
as he walked the crowded
streets in silence,
sharing his vision with
his eyes.

And as he walked back
into the night,
the world was changed forever
simply because
everyone knew
that he was nowhere
to be found—
the more they looked,
the more they realized
that the students
had to become the teacher.

   November 25, 2002
--Alexander Shaumyan