The Game That Might Have Been

there in the cherry, branching wood she turned
as if she heard something calling and she stood
with the light leaves falling

the subtle light enthralling
picture perfect;
in your embroidered slippers

did you turn
the child with the picture book unlearned
queried and asked for cherries too

and a golden spoon when all we had was
the whipped cream and the jello.
this was a game we played

when home from school one day

and running a temperature
or I imagined it so
with the snow piled up to the windows

and I in a Christmas glow of quilts
and all of us dressed
in our mother's best to the rose red hilt

and the picture hats, you know
when called into eat our tuna fish sandwiches
and the black cherry kool Aid

so we left the princess in the shade
in the cherry branching wood
in her best pink silk

amid the call of doves and
with her future unresolved.

mary angela douglas 6 october 2017