From the Death of Mary

Who had realized that until her arrival

the crowded heavens had been incomplete?

The risen one had taken his seat,

but next to him, for twenty-four years,

there was an empty space. And they began already

to get used to the pure gap,

which seemed to have healed, because with his beautiful

spreading radiance the son was filling it.

Thus, when she entered the heavens,

she did not go towards him, despite her strong longing;

there was no room, only He was there and shone

with a radiance that hurt her.

But just now as her moving figure joined

with the new blessed ones

and stood discreetly, as light with light, next to them,

there erupted from her being such an assault of

glowing light, that the blinded angel who was illuminated by her

cried out: Who is this one?

A wonderment arose. Then they all saw

how God-Father above shielded our Lord,

so that in the mild gloaming

the empty spot could now be seen

like a small pain, a sense of loneliness,

as something he was still bearing, a remnant from

his time on earth, a dried up injury-.

They watched her; she looked ahead with fear,

bent far forward, as if she felt: I am

His most enduring pain-; and suddenly broke forth.

But the angels took her in their fold

and steadied her and sang with blessed voices

and carried her up the final steps.