the froth of her dress was like a small sea
or something branched as flowers can be
in the spring or starlight caught in a looking
glass. oh how can you ask me
who only stood at the door and gaped
and counted for riff raff in the end.
green I would say if you asked me at ten
but then again maybe turquoise laced with
galaxies but in the afternoon
she stood in her bare toes dressed like a rose
in rose, I know, being her fellow servant
and her friend
such beauty will not grace again
a thousand, thousand ball rooms
not even by royal invitation.
insipid nations crowd the board
and swear off fairy tales outworn
proud of their ragged boats
washed stem to stern in ordinary time
they have not learned to measure music measureless.
beauty must be cherished said her ghost
or it will dim is all old poets said
to you in the end,
and fairly wept at this
and so did I
at home on the train
in the world of the dead
mary angela douglas 8 july 2015 rev. 22 june 2017
or something branched as flowers can be
in the spring or starlight caught in a looking
glass. oh how can you ask me
who only stood at the door and gaped
and counted for riff raff in the end.
green I would say if you asked me at ten
but then again maybe turquoise laced with
galaxies but in the afternoon
she stood in her bare toes dressed like a rose
in rose, I know, being her fellow servant
and her friend
such beauty will not grace again
a thousand, thousand ball rooms
not even by royal invitation.
insipid nations crowd the board
and swear off fairy tales outworn
proud of their ragged boats
washed stem to stern in ordinary time
they have not learned to measure music measureless.
beauty must be cherished said her ghost
or it will dim is all old poets said
to you in the end,
and fairly wept at this
and so did I
at home on the train
in the world of the dead
mary angela douglas 8 july 2015 rev. 22 june 2017
