‘Not All Angels Play the Harp’: A Poem by Roy E. Peterson

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Not All Angels Play the Harp

Not all angels play the harp,
_Or sing in heaven’s choir.
Some of them are warriors
_Who fly on wings of fire.

Daniel saw before his eyes
_A mighty angel standing.
Gabriel the messenger
_Gave Daniel understanding.

“Looking up, he saw there stood
_A man in linen fine;
A belt of finest gold around,
_A body crystalline.”

“Face like lightning streaming forth,
_Eyes like flaming torches,
Arms and legs like burnished bronze”
_(and Earth beneath He scorches.)

God says do not be afraid
_And do not lose your heart.
It’s not your war, it’s God’s to fight;
_His foes will soon depart.

Angels of the Lord encamp
_Around those who love Him.
They’re given power that’s divine
_To rescue all of them.

Then on doomsday God will take
_His terrible swift sword,
And kill at last Leviathan—
_It’s written in His word.

Praise of God be in my mouth,
_With two-edged sword in hand.
Please, God, help me slay the foe
_In accordance, as You planned.

Not all angels play the harp;
_Some carry out destruction.
Nothing earthly can deter their
_Puncturing compunction.

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Poet Note: The above poem is based on the following Bible verses: Daniel 10:5-8; 2 Chronicles 20:15; Psalms 34:7; and Isaiah 27:1.

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LTC Roy E. Peterson, US Army Military Intelligence and Russian Foreign Area Officer (Retired) has published more than 6,200 poems in 88 of his 112 books. He has been an Army Attaché in Moscow, Commander of INF Portal Monitoring in Votkinsk, first US Foreign Commercial Officer in Vladivostok, Russia and Regional Manager in the Russian Far East for IBM. He holds a BA, Hardin-Simmons University (Political Science); MA, University of Arizona (Political Science); MA, University of Southern California (Int. Relations) and MBA University of Phoenix. He taught at the University of Arizona, Western New Mexico University, University of Maryland, Travel University and the University of Phoenix.