Dolldom

she shall wear her chinaberry silk
we thought, by moonlight;
thinking all things through

as far as it was possible then.
the lilac fan that came with her
on your last birthday

but maybe not, the shoes.
let her wear shoes of gold
that we may tell her golden stories

or that she may go there
while we are at school,
to fantastic dolldom

the place of mystic tales
of inestimable tea sets
where all things are to scale.

mary angela douglas 17 january 2017