Doubt, the Devil’s thought

a poem by Jan Oskar Hansen

Walked to the cliff
and saw the compelling eye of a lake
while a white cloud passed by
where an angle sat.

Stretched out my arm
and we shook hands.
“Are you a skywalker too?” she asked!
“Don’t know, I have to jump and believe.”
She waved, smiled and wished me luck.
After flapping my arms, warming up,
I jumped and flew jubilantly,
passed the waving angel,
praising my new freedom.
But then I looked down and doubt,
the devil’s thought, crept into my mind and
I plunged, like a burnt out star into the lake.
Surfaced with a trout in my mouth and
since it was Monday
and I only eat fish on Fridays spat it out!
Sat on a rock, by the blue lake,
a nude merman drying his pants,
white clouds drifted
and a choir of angels sang.