Always He Untied The Knots In Necklaces (Reposting) Poem by Mary Angela Douglas

[to Milton B. Young, my grandfather]

always he untied the knots
in our jewel box necklaces

in our baby jewel boxes until
all rainy days shone
pure mother of pearl

he would have done
anything for us in the world
we knew that

or he untangled Christmas lights
bright lotuses of red and green
orange, blue and lemon shining through

his patience brought from a creaky attic
downstairs to our living room
like Heaven to earth for our Christmas tree

and meteor ridden, stardust in a bucket
he collected overnight all summer.

how I miss his constancy
his twinkling eyes, his surprises
for the little gals

his brief words to the wise.

we sang hymns with him in church
while grandmother played the organ.
he worked for the Red Cross.

he made sure we were never lost.

I thought he could solve any equation
I knew he would always try.
bitter the lemon in the tea without him

we sang hymns with him in church
while grandmother played the organ.
at night we all took turns
reading the Psalms.
he knew every bird call.

I'm missing the mint he gathered then
from his small garden flecked with marigold,
old fashioned roses-
Saturday afternoons.

his way of whistling a tune
when he was worried
about the people he loved.
mary angela douglas 29 september 2013; 12 october 2023