WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE MAP SOME POSSIBILITIES

the map could be lost or else we forgot to bring it

or it got tossed or left out in the rain

or maybe a country or two faded off of it

and now we must make do with what

the moss on the trees, Orion under clouds?

the land of green ginger that only comes to you

when it feels like it

or magic carpets, mardi gras beads

in every colour

the cloak of invisibility

or worn footpaths that suddenly appear

only after you start walking toward some destination

that isn't at first clear or maybe we should just go back

and have a few snacks or two said winnie the pooh

I imagine he did and so we did

and that is how it started to rain for real

changing the day and the day's memory

so that we grew it on the back porch

with the geraniums

and started a game called

whatever happened to the map

mary angela douglas 16 february 2023