The "Lonely, crying angel."

It was late in the afternoon, on the 9th of October when a couple visited their deceased grandmother at the neighborhood cemetery after several years.

While the couple replaced the old, dried flowers with fresh new white roses they noticed a statue of an angel that had not been there before. It was only a few feet away from their grandmother’s gravestone.

The gentleman looked over at his girlfriend with a puzzled look and said, “Honey, I don’t recall this being here last year.”

“I don’t either,” she replied with an identical look on her face. “It’s so odd although it is beautiful although it looks so depressing.”



The woman was curious and walked over to the statue and stared at it for a moment. It seemed so life-like for being made of stone. It appeared to be cold and longing for some embracement. There were even salt markings from what appeared to be a trail of dried tears.



The more the woman stared at it, the more it began to tell a story. A sad story of how it ended up there with no explanation.



Little did the couple know how the statue was once a living angel who was once in love with a mortal man who broke her heart and re-determined her destined fate.



Once happy in love, the angel did everything she could for the chosen love of her life. It wasn’t until the angel cried for the first time when she realized the mortal’s soul was made of stone.



Even after her many warnings, the angel believed that she could warm the soul of the man who was condemned to being unbreakable and invincible to love.



Many years passed and the angel became weak after her many attempts to show the lost man how to be compassionate- but her attempts were futile. She had lost hope and faith. The only thing her soon-to-be- lost love ever gave her was a white rose.



The angel was warned one last time and after she failed to listen, she was banned from her home until she could set the man free. As the angel clutched the almost withered white rose, she bargained her wings and flew away.



On the last night of her freedom, she closed her eyes and took his hand for the final time.



“My darling, do you love me? If so then why do you show no compassion for me when I hurt? When I cry?” The angel said with a sorrowful look in her eyes. “Please, tell me. This is our last chance.”



The angel began to cry. Once again the man showed no mercy as he stood up and just walked away. The angel prayed and prayed for one meaningful embrace to show her that he at least cared. That embrace never happened.



Moments later the sky filled with clouds and began to rain. The angel weeping tried to fly but her wings were too soaked and heavy.



Refusing to obey her last warning, the angel began to turn to stone. The more the rain fell, the harder her skin began to feel.



Not understanding what was happening she yelled out to the sky, “What is going on?”



“You would not leave the heartless man alone and he has drained you of you happy spirit. You knew his heart was made of stone and now you must suffer the consequences.” A voice said from above her. “You will be cast as stone until he finally asks for forgiveness for what he did to you. I am sorry angel.”



The angel closed her eyes, accepted her earthly sentence and then fell into a deep slumber.



When she awoke she was re-incarnated into a stone statue. Her spirit was alive but trapped by the hardened shell overlooking a peaceful cemetery.



It was getting late and the cemetery was going to close for the night.



“Honey, it’s time to go.” The gentleman said while reaching for his girlfriend’s hand. “How does Chinese sound for dinner?”



“Chinese sounds great.” The woman said while wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. “I didn’t realize what time it was. I’m starving.”



The woman took a deep breath and took one last look at the angelic monument.



As the couple began to walk away, the woman turned around, bent down and picked up a white rose from her grandmothers headstone.



Without knowing why, the woman place the white rose on the angel’s wing. As the couple walked away, the woman looked back and swore she saw a tear falling from the angels’ eye.



It was after that day and decades to come when the stone statue was finally named the “Lonely, crying angel.”



However, she only cried when a single white rose was placed on her wing-for she will spend eternity longing for the arms of a man who never loved her.





(C)Kimberly Morrow/2010/Dorance Publishing