CONSOLATION

 

CONSOLATION

May the honeyed balm of the presence of the Lord

Remove the sting from your pain as if the dew of Hebron

Had settled on a hill, may peppermint winds carry all

inflammation away and wintergreen soothe the subtle sorrow

Of all your bones disdained

May comfort come to you Unseen

Your pillows be stuffed with angel feathers

A cooling drink of tamarind, and tangerines

Of cherries and of snow

Relieve you, a breeze through the windows

Filled with flowers and with a temperate glow

So that

You remember suddenly the consolation of your mother  singing

When you were small, sick, and lost for a while

In a turgid sea.

And watched the pure silk sails towering over

 one clear green wave.

mary angela douglas 20 march 2024