ALL DAY LONG AT THE TRANSIENT WINDOW

all day long at the transient window

I see ghost houses floating

little ghost gardens

with transparencies of roses

sheer azaleas

and a green awning flapping

cheerily in brisk March winds 

dreaming to be a kite; a grass green garden

chair where we were told stories beyond compare;

icebox kitchens everywhere with lemon 

yellow curtains; attics with creaking tiptoed stairs to

Christmas toys of former joys;

and in the yards and meadows between

the vintage valentines knock sweetly on the screen doors

remember me?

out on a field day and then, colliding

with postcard tinted clouds

not to be outdone at this distance from the sun:

cardboardy paper hearts come sailing back on

unexpected reversals of breeze;

piano scale reveries,

cut out, construction paper sprees

still inscribed in lopsided crayon writing

to someone's Mama,

forever

mary angela douglas 22 march 2015;27 november 2023