To Sharon In A Time Of Perceived Plague Poem by Mary Angela Douglas

I speak to the person that you were

and speak in flowers whereverI can whenever I may

as sundry teachers taught us to say, to make that

eternal distinction



and I enunciate in star minted languages

revealed in dreams because we were raised that way, quoting Keats,

weren't we?

with our baby starwheels opened on Christmas Day showing the

constellations of Spring;



almost like twins twirling the gingham skirts


Grandmother found for us with so many petticoats.

now in a time of perceived plague I think of all the days

we didnt know or imagine



we could be heir to this pantomime just for living longer.

so I think of former days of the phrase dormer windows we loved to say

on a glassed in day sugar and butter on our fairy bread



and pray you will too be keeping the former view in the vuefinder

when we walked out in a yard full of the iris and the rose

and you could transpose anything with your eyes shut



on a bright day with clouds

dreaming the music out of the skies.



mary angela douglas 19 march 2020