And It's The Juniper Tale, Again In The Quilted Weather

and it's the juniper tale

and it's the pearl cloud over the moon

in dark rose weather

and you cannot sleep under your thousand covers

because of all the colours

and the fragrant stew -your best receipt-

made from wildflowers and who

will account for this accoutancy

the willow wisp over the marsh grasses

and it's all evergreen at noon and

icicle music when you turn
on the dark blue pea under the mattresses.

you need a few things to lessen your hunger

so you bite the juniper tale in two

and they won't ask for a sequel or measure

where your footprints wet with sleet went

as if they cared

they wouldn't fool small animals

foraging in the Easter grass or perhaps-

the Easter baskets a little taken

with the violet bow,

pale purple violets under the snow

and your best premonition

more than halfway through

this juniper tale for you

or whoever finds it first
shining chocolate in gold foil

mary angela douglas 19 april 2014

Note on Poem: You may think I mean will o' wisp and that I mispelled it but I didn't.  I just changed key from folktale to a wisp of the willow song in Shakespeare in Othello as this is a hard scrabble poem and yet with a hint of the desperately, even more long-ago lyrical recalled in extreme circumstances.  But if by sound association you would rather it be will o'wisp, feel free to think it is and it will be.