Through Goldenrod Years

to my sister

they've castled my castles did you cry
to the vacant chessboard
and this is where the gales swept through

this is where
the crystal chessmen vanished
the queens took cover in a dream

and the rooks quavered.

in grade school they said
if the twisters come
find the nearest ditch.

we'd been all over on our bicycles maybe
or just circling the block from our mimosa trees
in long afternoons of strawberry and vanilla

and wrapped the chocolate squares
back in their silver foil...
never never! cherishing all at once!

as if by King's command.

who'd ever seen a ditch on the playground
where we'd run, pretending we were horses
in our bright pinafores, our Greenaway dresses

or close by, home.

but we accepted the filmstrips for what they were,
continued skipping rope till the wild dust flew
and you flew up in the backyard swing

till I thought you'd launch into space: the unrivalled

queen of the swing set's summers blues and greens,
don't you remember? through goldenrod years,
the worst storms never appeared.

mary angela douglas 7 july 2015