Le Ballet Blanc

le ballet blanc they murmur
in the old documentaries
and I rinse my eyes

and see it all in reverse and reverie 
all that sea of tulle ,the poses. immortality
the vastness of that snow

and its infinity

impossible and yet 
there is the illusory 
spotlighted pink or blue

or lavender
I close my eyes
and prismed light sparks off tiaras

charming stage sets, balconies
the glasslike lake
and the scene is set for

avowals and the
betrayal of love.
le ballet blanc

the beautiful heartbreak
and I murmur to you or You
Beauty will break your heart

it's true

except with Christ it was
Beauty that broke
the stars spoked,

the stars banked off
of a cruel wind
and the Shades float on

attempting to forgive
wronged loves
proliferate

and the heart falls dead
and ever and over it the snows descend
in a perpetual whirling.

mary angela douglas 8 january 2018