The Poem About Pastels (Final Version) Poem by Mary Angela Douglas

well I remember pastel weddings
the fetes of my Grandmother's piano pupils
where she played the wedding march for them
usually the Mendelsohn
and my sister and I were the rice girls for awhile
also in pastels and giddy at the thought of more
lime sherbet punch which was quite popular then
and even now I wouldn't mind crystal quaffing that frothy pale green
delight, loading up on wedding mints in pastel too;
nothing is like pastel sugar wafers and salted nuts
we concealed as many as we could in the delicate paper napkins
such pirates we were but full of heart
throwing the rice bags at bride and groom as hard as we could
because our thought was the harder we threw them the more the good
luck conferred
neertheless we were suspended from duty as well meaning little girls
because the celebrants were getting bruises from the rice in its
pretty net bags we hurled their way
so we consoled ourselves with caramels at Halloween
wrapped in rich foil
and the fact we still had pastels galore at home
in the candy box shades the rooms were all painted in
the sunrise and sunsets out of doors.

mary angela douglas 5 november 2021; 12 april 2023