THE MERCHANT RETURNS TO BEAUTY

here is the rose that cost me everything
he said
if only you had asked for peacock

diamonds, castles of aftermirage-sweet

dresses of orchid embroidery from the floss of
hummingbird wings, Viennese

tortes for breakfast lunch and dinner-

a brace of Firebirds
the end of human suffering;

one more golden breath...

here is the rose red as blood

that should not mean
what it means now

how could you know

what I know
and still live

tomorrow is a rose-red ship

breaking apart mid-
harbor

on a calm day.

while spectators gather

mary angela douglas 30 november 2009

P.S. Of course, as we know from the French fairy tale, things turned out much better than that. But at this particular moment the Merchant in the story, as in life,did not know this.