THE MUSIC BEARING US ON

did we sing where everything was perishing

where night winds diminished in a different key and the white lilies

where the stars bloomed too

expiring with the dew

and the novas fell to earth invisibly

or its facsimile

in papier mache

amidst the other school projects

due the next day

at the science fairs, at the school plays

or mentioned nervously

in the oral book reports on books we chose

before the last bell arrived

the last bells...the summer rose

then we sang and it was December

and the carols lit the candles at home

and the Tree was up and festooned

bright with pear shaped bulbs in tulip colours

with multiple reflections in the icicles we flung

in colors of the borealis or stained glass in all the colours

I remember the words and the music, the feeling of singing

cresting the bright waves of music in our nativities

silver bells tucked amid the holly

silver bells rang out from the winter edged clouds

the way our childhood speaking, sparkling made clouds in the winter

air

then in all the aprils

or in graduation mays

still the feeling of the white flowers heaped

upon the revolving stage

and we were perishing in our sleep

without knowing 

were we perishing

or only vanishing line by line

our souls all along a distant chime

into the eternities with each note relinquished

floating the boat of music

going into the dream time

song after song,with those we loved

the music, bearing us on.

mary angela douglas 2 september 2022;27 february 2023