The Kingdom Of Maraschinos

o do you remember
the kingdom of maraschinos
and you in red velveteen

practicing for the recitals
the waltzes from the south?
and the roses outside

seemed complicit
and music lit from within
like opals, measure to measure.

I remember this,
I think to myself on the bus,
the houses with a thousand windows

flashing by,
bequeathed with too many wreaths.
and it is Christmastime

and I remember
the kingdom of maraschinos;
the light in the skies

above our childhoods, cherry-wise.

mary angela douglas 20 august 2016