Friday, June 03, 2016

As We Planned

to be a princess and braid your hair with pearls then
seemed a simple thing that of course you could do
as easily as eat two scoops of ice cream

when invited to.
we'll save up and go to Disneyland we planned
but I spent my allowance on paperbacks

and folksongs. you were the saver
in the family
as well as a princess.

well I was one too.
and both of us in charge of cherry vanilla;
co princesses in Grandmother's brick house

with a vast piano
and our room with pale blue walls.

we should wear pink against the blue
we knew we knew we knew
because it was that way

in the storybooks.
how have years intervened
to change this train of thought

into zero plus naught
(and not in coloured chalk)
I don't understand.

let it be then, as we planned.

mary angela douglas 3 june 2016