The Last Cherry Dress

the cherry basted dress with golden thread

I have hemmed now, said her Grandmother.

and the little girl drew a counterpane of snow;

a small bird's cry and the holly
 berry bush beneath the window

on a sheet of large paper crayoned in:
outside the window of Forever.
sparrow tracks in the snow

and time ticked by until she said
that fairy tales could

never have that sheen again

they had while she was here.

and wondering where the violet music disappeared

and wondering through slow tears

till wondering was no more;

where in God's failed paradise she would wear

a dress, that beautiful.

mary angela douglas 28 june 2014;rev. 21 april 2015

Note on the poem:  failure not from within God; failure from within Paradise.  Also, some gifts that are given from a family that loves us can seem too precious for earth's use.