Monday, April 06, 2015

When She Sees Birds Arise She Does Not See

WHEN SHE SEES BIRDS ARISE SHE DOES NOT SEE

["He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most high
shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." Psalm 91:1 (KJV)]

when she sees birds arise she does not see
what others see. and somehow they know this
at school and so a history of ridicule begins

at first, a small stream, then a cataract.
but she lives in the mists and cannot hear them.
and this to her is music, not what is placed

on the stand to sight-sing only by rote
and to: a tittering crowd.
how note for note and sequinedly she sees

a trajectory of silver set on fire and edging tree

to tree and it not even raining.
and the whispering of the leaves is to her
a birthday and not to be frittered

in classroom dissonace,oh, by-the-ways
but held, but hallowed. so, holding still,
under the wing of silence

or on a far hill and to stand under
great trees unnoticed
pondering the cooled immensity

of all these shadows starred
in her heart's own evening
is what she wishes most.

mary angela douglas 6 april 2015

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