Mary's Welcome

Before she came there, who would have suspected
that abundant Heaven was incomplete?
He had assumed his place, the Resurrected,
but for those four-and-twenty years the seat
next him was empty. And they had begun
to get used to this purest gap, now seeming
all but healed, since full of brightness streaming,
with such marvelous beauty, from the Son.

So she did not, crossing Heaven's threshold,
approach him, though this longing was transcendent;
there was no room, for He was there, resplendent
with radiance it hurt her to behold.
But when, a touching figure, adding light to light
she joined the souls newly assembled
and whom she modestly would have resembled,
from ambush in her burst out rays so bright,
the angel caught and blinded by them trembled
and cried out in a loud voice: Who is she?

There was astonishment. Then all could see
how God the Father stooped down and restrained
our Lord, so that a mild half-light remained
and wavered softly round the empty place
which now was as a little grief, a trace
of loneliness, left over from the dearth
and dry affliction he had borne on earth.
All watched her. As if feeling: I must be
his longest pain, she leant round anxiously
and gazed: and then rushed forward. But this drew
the angels to her side. With blissful song
they led her to him, helping her along,
and carried her for the last step or two.