Dearly I Have Loved Illusions Poem by Mary Angela Douglas

Dearly I have loved illusions
Not losing sight that they were illusions;
I would not follow the mermaids down
Knowing that if I did, I would drown.
But something of illusion
Glitters and is innocent in its beckoning
Fragile and fraught; defiant as roses in a winter scene
And Christ Was such a Rose so I believe
rooted in our long sleep
And sing at Christmas most fervently
Most merrily, to Christmas keep.
mary angela douglas 3 august 2024