sadness is a kingdom with starless walls
where the curtains must remain drawn and
where no valentines are ever sent
where there are many investitures of snow
and mirrors through which the fairytale cannot
be accessed
and where, if the golden ball drops down
the well, no one
retrieves it
where golden wands are broken and
no Christmas ornaments are
stored in the attic
and where
in a sea of crystal the mermaid disappears
on a wave that cannot reach the prince-
mary angela douglas february 2005
