Winter Had Come To The Emerald City

the ultra linen of the snow wrinkled counties
we set out to seek.
would we wound them with the rubied slippers

having come too late? the snows so deep,
and no one at the Gate.
the poppies underground and in the sleet

making our way and half snow blind.
the munchkins all indoors; not there to greet us.
winter has come to the Emerald City

we sighed we sighed
slogging, not dancing, this time.
oh give us wings, lost Emperor in disguise

we cried, o marvelous shopkeeper!

and for the daunted lion,
strength to war
where old scars were.

to win again, the winsome towers.

and like an emerald tinker's cry
through all our hours-
that carries far beyond the Zone

through an Unseen Power
came the reply:

new souls for old,
new souls - for old.

mary angela douglas 10 october 2015