My Swans Wheel Away Poem by Mary Angela Douglas

(after the manner of Hans Christian) *

my swans wheel away
in disbelief:
could I be theirs?

I mourn in the mirror of the
skies, perfecting my reflection
in dismay

quaking in the clear pearl shadows
of their going

my swans turn away
from my frank, happy question:
'is it you? '

incapable of reply
so lofty, made of snow,
but hard;

even in blue-bell decked
midsommer, never melting-

pleased with one another
preening the crystal feathers
out of reach like stars-

they shine and blur
or is it only water that's
so dazzling

and can't be called back.

it's only I-
am sobbing 'clouds on clouds'

drifting further than could be expected -
(all-in-all)

and won't be comforted
by any tribes now-

mary angela douglas 22 july 2010

*poems references are of course to Hans Christian Anderson's The Ugly Duckling and represent a kind of alternative ending, or maybe it's a case of the false swans before the true (appearing) .
Posted by To the Russian