For Trilby My Ruby-Eyed Stick Horse, Wandering Poem by Mary Angela Douglas

to Trilby, the ruby-eyed: long may you ride!
my pearl bright stick horse, across the grasslands
where the myths abide; the good ones with

the halos; no longer on earth.
I understood the meteoric flash of your side eyes
set in felt, sidereal;
impatient, the faery bells on your bridle

only I could see.

and here, when I am home and by myself
and not that far from childhood, yet-
the stir of something in the twilight air

still lets me know you're out there,
nuzzling the lilacs, eating the blue asters.

through the window I will go
as down the slides, I used to-
in quilted slippers from last Christmas

for one last ride beneath
the custard stars-

mary angela douglas 3 july 2014