RED and GREEN: A Poem about Temptation

by Susan Fox

A sea of ugly green toads swim smoothly around my head while I am reclining.

A small army of Rudolph:

Red bulbous noses,

but no Christmas joy follows their entrance.

They seem intent on turning over my iced tea,

interrupting my music,

pulling my feet from the chair...

Their unpleasant voices

remind me of what I said,

(which wasn’t said)

but must have been said

because it now bothers me.

I finally send them out of the room

to a place they do not like.

Their little general marches with them

back and forth, rudely before the  Throne of God.

Hurling accusations at me like balefire,

a small squeaky dog toy, he fusses.

His absolute defiance is a bonfire of despair.

But I know how to rock his indigestion.

I simply bow my head before the One

and say,

“I am nothing.”

And so it was with the Angel known as Michael,

who asked one question:

“Who    is like God?”*

A shooting star framed against the inky sky,

the disgraced commander falls like lightening.

A shower of meteors follow.

Stars -- one-third the princes of the kingdom –

fall from heaven.

It all happened in my salon.

Goodbye Red.

Goodbye Green.

 *Michael means, "Who is like God?" I personally think he defeated Satan with humility not with a sword. To Satan's arrogant statement, "I want to be God," Michael humbly asked, "Who is like God?" 

Like to read another Angel Poem by Susan Fox? SKID ROW PROFILES 2: Tom the Fish Salesman