For The Poet Rainer Maria Rilke Poem by Mary Angela Douglas

You who were terrified at tea parties
Stepping out on the terraces where
The dark blue winds had gathered
How far along are you now
Forever wandering on the coasts of Heaven
Familiar with stars
May the ghosts of old gardens comfort you
The innocence of old shrines
The blue and gold of eternal ways
How much you suffered on earth
Being a foreigner here
Displaced among the commonplace
Longing for far distances
We gather in your silver harvest
Generations after
Each poem delectable
Tasting of other realms and
The long shadows of trees.
You pilgrim of:
The Immensities.
mary angela douglas 10 march 2024