OF ALL THE SONGS THAT ORPHEUS SANG

 

of all the songs that Orpheus sang it's

well I could imagine this one

the song of the overcoming flowers

battling the ice and storms

of the Far North

and valorous in their gaining ground

and petal by petal the arpeggios of jasmine

intensified,sweet,  beneath the suddenly iris coloured skies

unerringly dew spangled processions sweeping the fields

the out of the way places and the birds returning

trilling the flowers on the small flowers speckled with gold

unthawing the brooks

with their reflections mirrored and laughing like little bells

and the pines cheering

the evergreens, the evergreen music twining around the stars

earth warming to the sounds of quickening and the margins

of the books of first illuminations bursting into flame

sunning the earth and the poet's heart

reigning

and raining down in profusions of victories

multifoliate, the roses

the lilies stalwart at their stations

the violets in tender grass surpassing

the heavy shadow over all things and the dreariness

passing, passing out of the earth's orbit

forever.

mary angela douglas 14 march 2023