The Wright Brothers Raid The Kitchen Drawer, December 1903 Poem by Mary Angela Douglas

using what was plausible, we didn't make much progress.
but there was magic in the little things:
cast off finery, multicoloured strings, the skeletons of kites

and budding twigs.the gumdrop rings, the wisp of clouds reflected
in the drains; the costume brooch without its pin
old pencil leads on days it rained

and then: old wishes long forgot, forget me knotted up

with pennants from Arthurian Towers,
valentine bowered, the mislaid hours
and telegrams, and garlanded,

the autographs of friends in the long ago
and sepia toned. Christmas gift wrap rewrapped,
ghost ship manifests...old kitchen mop, golden

cough drop, cabinet spice

that lasted for years, the panoply
of childhood tears with their candied rewards.
odd things in jars, the medals from the war, the

whirligig scars, and ice cream bars...

paint from old toyshop windows, glue from gilt stars

pasted on our reports, the startle of gold leaves released
in november winds and then blue jay feathering it
beach day weathering it

you said to yourselves on a day
of Christmas pageant wings and wonderings,
oh I believe

soon we will fly like the leaves...

mary angela douglas 4 october 2016