Let Silence Break Open

let silence break open
as into a jewel inlaid cabinet
where the moon and the sun

are mother of pearl
against jet ebony shining or
as into a garden of spices

where all the buds had
bloomed in the snows
and you stopped by

like the merchant on shipwrecked holiday
seeking souvenirs for his daughters
and one bright rose

and found and here the storyline drifts
unexpectedly, not a world of trouble
but a theme composed

upon which exotic birds settled
the ones brought back to emperrors
so that the suitors not lose their lives

and all the riddles come due
at once
and death, comprise.

mary angela douglas 10 november 2017