Blackberries Drenched In The Cream Of Good Consciences

[to Beatrix Potter]

blackberries drenched in the cream of good consciences

set before the good little rabbits...

poor Peter, I thought uneasily,

almost baked in a pie.

sent to bed with no supper while his

bunny sisters tittered

filled to the brim with berries,

almost growing wings.

I wanted to bring him blackberries myself

or at least some lemon ice cream with

a thin cookie, maybe, from the Howard J.'s

we visited in summer or

a candy bar, an ice cream sandwich or two.

later I loved dear Beatrix for the Christmas tale

of Gloucester

and it's twist of cherry silk

and wanted to write innumerable poems

or stitch them bit by bit with a twist of her

cherry silk, but how could I nibble

in her story patch

fearing I'd be baked in a pie, too?

mary angela douglas 24 august 2014