LAMENT OF LEONARDO ON A LOST NOTEBOOK

my fair copy of the rings around the moon
got into the wrong hands-
stashed in the pirate's hoard

next door to rubies and a retrograde coinage

and the key to that lock was thrown
by a vagrant hand for no reason at all

into silver-pointed dawn.
now in a lime-leafed summer, once again,

brocaded planets spin so unredeemed
but not for that much longer-

mary angela douglas 20 december 2009/28 june 2010