I Do Not Want To Acknowledge

I do not want to acknowledge

the world as a military outpost

the bruises forming under the sun

the telepathy of clouds in their aftermirage

all sorrow hinging on the word "because"

I want to be still

more still than starlight on the waves

more quiet than words on a page that no one reads

more faithful than anything around

the soul becoming beautiful without a sound

I do not want to acknowledge

the banishment from the fairy tale

of the singing, soaring lark;

the dominance of the dark

the soul as a doormat, caught in all drafts

I want to live like flowers in a foreign field

flourishing God knows only how

I will not bow to iniquity.

mary angela douglas 3 december 2021;2 february 2022