Dwelling in His Shadow

The College Years

Dwelling in His Shadow

All Hallows’ Eve, and, as children, softly

Sleep we beneath its hollowed, full-spun light,

Pale golden globe of luminosity

That melts the savage spirit of strange night

And, through rough rustling branches, slants its smile

On babes in bewitched woods who slumber

Below swaying shades—where flitting evil,

Perchance, glides: thin phantoms’ restless number.

Still wary of moon’s watchful lamp, they steal

Past us into black blanket night, banished

By full-caring Father who fondly seals

Our rest with starlight’s kiss, dark dreams vanished

From tired eyes.  Stroke of His winged shadow

Dims trees’ flame torch and whispers nocturne low.

11/01/1982 — Lookout Mountain, Georgia

All text on this page was written by Sandra Fleming and is copyrighted by the author. Please do not reproduce the poem or the photographs without her permission.