Theories Of Time In The Ice Cream Shoppe Poem by Mary Angela Douglas

[to the twenty seven flavors I passed by and
to my Grandfather, Milton B. Young]

I wanted to think through my theories of time
in the ice cream shoppes (you know,
and research there)

was it lemon stick in the Howard

Johnson's lodge, or black cherry vanilla
vanilla and were the skies deep turquoise
and the trees rimmed with pumpkin orange

as in a picture postcard where it all matches?
everyone has family vacations
says the world and the kids at school but I don't listen

I'm in my own time loop festively
with my Grandfather when he
asks so benignly and I'm sure

nowhere else to anyone else ever
in any other universe;
are you sure you want lemon stick again?

mary angela douglas 24 october 2016