A Final Thing To You Will Be Said

a final thing to you will be said
but then you won't be here
so you may as well imagine it,

spell it out in code to the birds
who will fly away with it
back to their fairy tale lands,

to their nests twined silver and gold,
the occasional turquoise.
something sparkles in a beak

and it's too late to take it back
and it goes free, without permission
into the clouds.

so it could be for you or me
the last day on earth;
when we escape the denouement

they had planned
with God, sweet God,
commanding otherwise...

mary angela douglas 20 august 2016