Thursday, July 13, 2006

THE DOCUMENTS THE QUEEN MUST NEVER SEE

THE DOCUMENTS THE QUEEN MUST NEVER SEE

["Je te defendrai a la derniere carriere."*
-Mary, Queen of Scots]


the documents the queen must never see
are locked inside a cloud that
cannot weep

and it will take too long to
cast off the embroidery
that could have caused true

rescuers to come


not many ivory ships
will sail until:
you waken, foundered,
in a green wood


and witnesses are called
who have no voice-

a shimmering rush of wings:
the tongue-cut sparrows
lace the sky
lace the sky

with warnings bright as tromp l'oeil patterns

through the window of
the last cell

mary angela douglas 2 november 2005/10 november 2005
copyright 2006



*"I shall defend Thee while I still draw air."