What Was It

was it the ice storm?
or the whole Kaleidoscope shattered-
and we're on the floes of colours

shifting apart.
soon it will be dark, we
crooned to the little houses

floating by and then
the skies will leave off weeping.
this is the kingdom down again

my friend said sleeping,
lost in the shade.
and lost is the white the gold

oh the Dome of very heaven
as we wondered, growing smaller,
out of Time:

will the vines creep round

us now or will we remember how
to spell the right word at the
critical moment?

or will we write in chalk on
an unforgiving moon
this is the tune the way we played it

little bird little bird
in your nightfall of pearls.
when no one heard.

mary angela douglas 7 january 2016