CASTLES

 

CASTLES

I learned about inner castles

First from St. Teresa of Avila

Then, Vladimir Bukovsky

Kafka, shortly after, his castle most dubious.

But farther back in childhood

I remember the first castle of

Disneyland I think, the Sleeping Beauty Castle

Its pink and blue, its turrets rising freshly in Anaheim

Where orange groves had been when Walt was still alive

And in his hey day

And I thought somehow

If we could go there and

I could pass through those rosy gates

They would confer on me

The true title of Princess.

Alas this was not to be

And I wept almost inconsolably

I’ll never be a princess now! At six years old.

We had Disney records, went to the earliest

Disney films the fairytales especially

Beautifully animated on Saturday matinees

Had sheet music too

And sang as well about Alice

In the golden afternoon.

I wept so hard I don’t have any tears left

For that missed opportunity

Looking back Im sorry I grieved my grandparents so

They made up for it in so many ways

We saw the World’s Fair in 1964

We had bubble lights and a color wheel

for our aluminum Christmas tree

I got to put either angel or Star atop

It was my choice

I should have understood

My one true joy

Living with them and my sister

My mother there on visits

My father’s house on Sundays

Our little dog too making things merry

Whenever the doorbell rang

The best castles of all

I was already welcome in.

Anyone can wear a tiara.

mary angela douglas 25 april 2024