Not Again! Poem by Mary Angela Douglas

Beauty accustomed to praise is miffed again
While standing outside the rusted gates to fairyland you pretend
You remember all the rules from what you've read
Don't knock on the door that they have labeled for you in script of gold instead
Go through the plain door. Check.
But in the actual moment you arrive
The gleam of gold will catch your eye
And you'll forget
Much to the story's detriment.
And your eternal surprise.
mary angela douglas 19 january 2024