Prima Ballerina Assoluta (Final Version, Reformatted Stanzas) Poem by Mary Angela Douglas

pale orchid assoluta shimmering on the stage:
in tulle, beyond the demi-glittering waltz length dress
your soul was made for jeweled breezes,
sequined to perfection.

what difference can it make what role you play;

it's only the difference between rose and rose
in an heirloom garden of poses
perfectly realized, the ballet blanc.

pale orchid assoluta, in colours of vanishing,

for a moment, stay-mid-air-
in the pearlized daydream of the little girl
in a peach sundress who is

taking flying leaps by herself
all over the summer carport
dreaming she is like you,

assolutely beautiful


mary angela douglas 24 october 2013; 13 october 2023