the messages left by wandering strangers
under rocks the storm turned over
the letters you sent into space
that never returned
the unopened valentines unearned
somewhere there is a post office
for God's neglected children
with brightly foiled on cardstock cards
keys without locks
embossed invitations
to all the weddings
illuminated silk-screened
the tick and the tock of birthdays acknowledged
well into the gloom of descending age
the Christmas letters packed like fruitcake
full of delicious crumbs of this and that
and citron glowing and the green cherries mystifying
sugared pineapple.
Somewhere everything sent is acknowledged
somewhere everything received is complete
somewhere the handwriting is neat
in letters that swoop like sea birds
in graceful curves on floral stationary-
with something jeweled in their beaks;
from all the shipwrecks,
the glorious salvage
mary angela douglas 12 may 2016;rev, 20 june 2017
under rocks the storm turned over
the letters you sent into space
that never returned
the unopened valentines unearned
somewhere there is a post office
for God's neglected children
with brightly foiled on cardstock cards
keys without locks
embossed invitations
to all the weddings
illuminated silk-screened
the tick and the tock of birthdays acknowledged
well into the gloom of descending age
the Christmas letters packed like fruitcake
full of delicious crumbs of this and that
and citron glowing and the green cherries mystifying
sugared pineapple.
Somewhere everything sent is acknowledged
somewhere everything received is complete
somewhere the handwriting is neat
in letters that swoop like sea birds
in graceful curves on floral stationary-
with something jeweled in their beaks;
from all the shipwrecks,
the glorious salvage
mary angela douglas 12 may 2016;rev, 20 june 2017
