And Closing Our Eyes We Dreamed That We Were Snow Poem by Mary Angela Douglas

(a lullaby)

and closing our eyes we dreamed that we were snow
the milk white netting on the stars when it is not quite day
and we lay between world and world quilt heavyin our antique cribs
and would have counted the purple shadows on the bars
If we could have counted then
How vague- the dimmed green crownsof trees lifted in the outside wind
as if they were friends
we could see through the upper window;
we nestled in.
and suddenly it seemed as if the same dream came to us again
or a sifting of rose petals from the grandfather's garden
and the snow was falling over us and we understood
Its heart its heart is the crystal in our Mama's necklace
and we were comforted..

mary angela douglas 5 october 2020