Sadness Is A Kingdom With Starless Walls Poem by Mary Angela Douglas

sadness is a kingdom with starless walls
where the curtains must remain drawn and
where no valentines are ever sent

where there are many investitures of snow

and mirrors through which the fairytale cannot
be accessed

and where, if the golden ball drops down

the well, no one comes
to retrieve it

where golden wands are broken and

no Christmas ornaments are
stored in the attic
and where

in a sea of crystal the mermaid disappears
on a wave that cannot reach the prince-

mary angela douglas february 2005; 28 september 2023