At God's right hand the angels stand
In the courts of Heaven above,
They bow with folded wings ere they fly
On their missions of pity and love.
There are many who wait for His high commands,
And each has his own full powers,
But the sweetest of all the angels there
Is the one who sows the flowers.
He stands the nearest unto God,
He can almost touch His hand;
His hair is golden, and his wings
Are the whitest of all the band.
But his brothers know not even his name
As we on this earth know ours;
They only know him in that high land
As the one that sows the flowers.
When the winds of earth are soft and low,
And the fields are moist with the rain,
This angel bends his radiant head
On wood and field and plain.
Then his eyes look right into those of God
While his wings he gently lowers;
And this whisper is heard through the whole of heaven;
'Is it time to sow the flowers?'
Then God said, touching his golden head,
'Go down to the haunts of men;
Let the flowers grow up like my love for them,
By wood and stream and glen.
Go down; and wherever thy feet shall stray
The flowers will spring into birth,
To teach the heart that is doubting still
The love I have for the earth.'
So the angel that sows the flowers came down
With a deep rich light in his eyes,
And the clouds took a softer look as they spread
Their white wings over the skies.
They wept sweet tears on the angel's head,
Till around him, as he stood,
A full green glory of birds and flowers
Burst forth by meadow and wood.
They grew into life at the touch of his feet,
Or wherever his wings were thrown;
And their eyes grew wet with the purest of dews,
And they turned and looked into his own.
But sweetest of all the blossoms that grew
In the soft spring winds to wave,
Were those that smiled like an infant child,
From grass that was over a grave.
And wherever the angel laid him down
For a moment to rest his feet,
A glory of blooms burst forth, till the wind
With their very breath was sweet.
And this is why, when you come to a spot
Where the blossoms are thick and fair,
You know the angel that sows the flowers
Has lain for a moment there.
Through this earth of ours, on his mission of love,
The angel went his way;
And sunshine and song went along with him,
Till the earth was glad and gay.
Then he knelt him down with his hands on his breast,
And turned his face to the skies,
And as soft as dew in the hush of the night
Rose the tears into his eyes.
'Farewell, my flowers, for my task is done,
Till the time that I come again,
I leave you to sway when the west winds play,
And your thoughts in the hearts of men.
So that, when you feel their incense steal
From the wings of the dewy showers,
They will think of the love of the Master above,
Who sent me to sow the flowers.'