The World Is Full Of Scolding Poem by Mary Angela Douglas

the world is filled with scolding
children looking down at their shoelaces
trying to think of something gold

while they are being made to feel
smaller and smaller until, not at all.

the sales force dreaming of their
favorite meal berated in the
fine room with no windows

(those green striped chairs!)

somebody open a window you
want to scream but you just stare
and you've got to stand there,

sit there, crouch there until
they've finished flaying you
with words.

I want to remind you though
you may not feel it now,
there are other words:

and you can fix your attention
on them to withstand:

take 'rose' for instance
perfumed, luxurious, rife with colours
rich with love and velvety, velvety

or for example, 'star'
very far, even disappeared
yet still giving light.

oh concentrate and maybe
you won't feel the pain
on Light that still remains

even after it's gone.
may this comfort you.

mary angela douglas 13 january 2016