Withouten Any Sun

for George Herbert

stars in their flocks have scattered from the skies
bell ringers have turned home to mend their crystal
and I the last watcher judged unwise

persist in seeing Christmas in disguise
persist in connecting all the starlit dots
into the fantastic;past the overweening years

while forecasts made of fog appear
stamped as foretold
and yet and yet

and bright within my mind
I see the Star of God's design and most revered
inviolate, invulnerable and clear

and brand it here
on my small heart withouten any sun
the ensign of the world to come.

mary angela douglas 5 january 2020