Consolation Poem by Mary Angela Douglas

May the honeyed balm of the presence of the Lord
Remove the sting from your pain as if the dew of Hebron
Had settled on a hill, may peppermint winds carry all
inflammation away and wintergreent soothe the subtle sorrow
Of all your bones disdained
May comfort come to you Unseen
Your pillows be stuffed with angel feathers
A cooling drink of tamarind, and tangerines
Of cherries and of snow
Relieve you, a breeze through the windows
Filled with flowers and with a temperate glow
So that
You remember suddenly the consolation of your mother
singing
When you were small, sick, and lost for a while
In a turgid sea.
And watched the pure silk sails towering over
one clear green wave.
mary angela douglas 20 march 2024