For Trilby, My Ruby-Eyed Stick Horse, Wandering

to Trilby, the ruby-eyed:  long may you ride!

my pearl bright stick horse, across the grasslands

where the myths abide; the good ones with

the haloes; no longer on earth.

I understood the meteoric flash of your side eyes

set in felt, sidereal;

impatient, the faery bells on your bridle

only I could see.

and here, when I am home and by myself

and not that far from childhood, yet-

the stir of something in the twilight air

still lets me know you're out there,

nuzzling the lilacs, eating the blue asters.

through the window I will go

as down the slides, I used to-

in quilted slippers from last Christmas

for one last ride beneath

the custard stars-

mary angela douglas 3 july 2014