GOING NORTH

(to George McDonald-

and to my mother, at the back of the North Wind-)

dreaming  lines from Your book of pearl

we carried the snow in our small hands

from the white-worked embroideries on the lawn.

you only feel the cold at first; 

then you don't.

a dish of frozen cherries for the King:  scooped out-

a Queen looks out from her diamond windowpane

and sighs, 

"will these ships sail? "

cover my words in the green shade of your hands.

the sun can blister what should be said.

and you may find the back-hand of the wind

and every lost subaltern telling you what to do

with your fine soul

though  filmy valentines from God Himself

will  shadow you…

and may I scoop from the frozen honey

of your tears, white velvet on my slightest wings, 

bright words to remain on earth with

after you've disappeared…

she cried.

while children standing on orange crates

declaim it's best to be

eating oranges at Christmas-tide

and peppermint  ice-cream.

the Queen smiled out

rich stenciled window-panes

where they finger-wrote in frost

their last goodbyes.

carry fond words into the eternities, 

she wrote them back -

carry blizzards on your back

for the sake of the truth

we saved from melting...

mary angela douglas 21 january 2012