THE FILM opens in Tranquility Valley, a beautiful, wildly green, rural landscape, as MICHAEL begins the narration of her story: A poet, traveling from place to place, doing chores for room and board, Michael is struck by lightning while painting a country church. From that point on, her life takes a different path.

In the PREACHER's fire and brimstone sermon the following morning, he proclaims Michael to be the archangel Michael, come down to do battle once again with Satan! Here on earth! Armageddon! Meanwhile, Michael escapes with the help of the congregation children to a mysterious TRAIN waiting on an isolated track which will take her to the City. HEAVENLY VOICES are now her constant companions, telling her she must look for three people who need her help. Michael, who has begun falling suddenly asleep at unexpected moments (a symptom common to lightning-struck victims) begins dreaming about LOVE, a painter in her middle years; VINCENT, a youngish gay bartender who often speaks through his ventriloquist dummy, JO BAWD; and JOHN, a salesman well past retirement age who carries his recently deceased wife's ashes in a box tied with twine. These three are regular patrons at the SAD CAFE, a cafe/bookstore in an inner city neighborhood, presided over by OPHELIA EARLE, a woman powerful in the neighborhood, and the mysterious DR. J., her partner. BAR PATRONS and POETS congregate during the evening's open poetry reading. Each dream gives Michael (and the viewer) another clue about who these people are and what is troubling their hearts and lives.

Once in the city, Michael makes her way to the neighborhood of the Sad Cafe and rents a room above MR. MOHAMMED's small neighborhood store. Piecing together the clues gleaned from her dreams, Michael goes out on the street to look for Love, John and Vincent, searching the passing faces for the three who haunt each dream. Between the episodes of sudden sleep, Michael encounters denizens of the night, citizens of street life-a family being evicted from their house by the police; a homeless encampment; various other people, some engaged in minor criminal activity; and two children playing stickup with a loaded gun. As she searches, she hands out small handmade train tickets to those she meets, one free ride. Finally, she comes upon the Sad Cafe near closing time.

Michael's presence at the Sad Cafe sets off a chain of magical events during which Vincent's dummy (Jo Bawd) comes alive, Love confronts her self-hatred, and Michael sees John's life as it really was. In each instance, Michael gives them each a train ticket. In a climactic moment, the Train arrives once again in the City, the patrons leave the Sad Cafe for the night, and gunshots are heard (the children have held up Mr. Mohammed's store and shot him). Love, John, Vincent and Jo Bawd are seen boarding the Train, along with street people, cafe patrons and others with tickets.

The Train takes them back to Tranquility Valley where the Preacher is holding a revival along a creek bank. Some join in the service, and others wander off and have more private transformation experiences. All who have returned on the Train have a renewed sense of hope in their lives. Love has come to love herself, Vincent has faced his fears. John stays in Tranquility Valley to find a home for himself and a resting place for his wife. Michael is transformed into a hawk and flies away.