Monday, March 27, 2023

A SINGLE BLACKBIRD (FINAL VERSION)

 

not that far off the ground

our hearts won't fail us

striving to be clouds or cherubs

even when the margins don't align

and the typewriter bell I miss

the ghosts of the scribes haven't even heard of this

and birds fly off to be other golden glosses

through the flowered borders of my illuminated dream

red and green,and blue and curlicued.

blue and gold flourishes in medieval calligraphy

what is this wizadry legend has it an anonymous monk

drew a single blackbird in the margin probably on some april day

when his mind wandered at the birdsong out the cloister window

upon the cream coloured morning

though from the high tower the trumpets of the Invisible 

warn:

cold ships are on the way, the long boats

still it is still in

the almost festive cell

today as yesterday

the cold ships on the way notwithstanding

as though it were the First Dawn.

and you, the First Scribe of it all

silent as snow on a vast page, immutable.

mary angela douglas 1 january 2022;29 january 2022;27 march 2023

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