Cause

the beauty of the story as originally told
somehow surely I swore to uphold as a little girl
whenever I closed my eyes shut tight with the birthday candle wish

it must have been this
to let the domain of fairy tale remain the same
in all its lore its gold spilling out

onto the floor of the nursery where I am read to
all about Red Riding Hood or that Queen Victoria said:
I will be good, at 18 when suddenly she was queen

I thought I will be good too and a measure of that
a goodly measure 
is standing up for the truth of all that's beautiful
and that was before.

and still I hoist my flag above the magic of it all
shadow and light together the trials of the heart
and goodness rewarded after the bitterness dissolves.

that is my cause.
to keep those realms intact.
the golden coach on the road

the crystal slipper
safe from shattering.

mary angela douglas 20 july 2020