ARRANGING THE PASTEBOARD FURNITURE (FINAL VERSION)

 

ARRANGING THE PASTEBOARD FURNITURE (FINAL VERSION)

arranging the pasteboard furniture

in the dollhouse, won't the

summer be fine? and

edged in the lace of Queen Anne;

diecut valentines

the elegant names of the meadow

flowers, flowers all under the blue

sanctuary of skies

we'll scatter so pinkly there;

where cloudlike, again the bride doll glimmers

for her 100th rehearsal

confetti coming down and the

little ice cream trucks

with their snow cone variations

on a theme

and you, will you hold aloft

as carefully as you please

in your school

cherry coughdrop reveries

her sequined train trailing

the clover-starry grass, or will I?

while the Queen stares into

her looking glass a little distracting

in a cherry trimmed gown

breaking the clasp on

her favorite jade necklace.

alas! you cry in your sleep

where all afternoon you practiced scales

up and down, on all the toy pianos in town

in a sing-songing, silvering sound,

faintly in daylight

tracing through music

your very own

Milky Way

mary angela douglas 25 june 2015;19 january 2024