It's All Elliptical We Said

it's all elliptical, we said, so happy on the
day we discovered the word fluttering out
from the lesson plan

and certain orbits overhead in the lemon groves of

what was said or wasn't said; ell elliptical, elliptical
the starry music fled, the secrets of the living, not the dead
and then returned at an

instant, perhaps, of dread, with the speed of infinite love
or angels;

just as the cherry coating of our days wore off
and the glum rains started in, the puddings
with no raisins, rhymes with no reasons;

bleakness with its one season...

we comforted ourselves with words, with Andromeda

and the shape of pears all glittering
unaware in the fairytale illustrations
that they were beyond compare throughout the kingdom,,,

it's then that we were blessed
with an elliptical understanding
going off on tangents in our best dresses

all over the place,
and better for it I would guess,
though it couldn't be, ever

on the test.

mary angela douglas 9 july 2016