What If It Isn't Exactly The Dreamland You Wanted (Final Version) Poem by Mary Angela Douglas

what if it isn't exactly the dreamland you wanted in your dream
will you still make do behind your cheerful
curtains with the ruffles?

and you ordered the cherry sprigged dress and not the one
with the yellow pockets well, it's a dream, what can be done is done
by someone shifting the scenery.

or the hills or pink or they are blue
and the painters are all painting it that way in the dream studio
but you there in the doorway whose dream it is are

standing in the doorway and can't move a shoe inside
well what do you want? A bus to dreamland?
some royal invitation?
I dreamed of buses too. the drivers forgot where they were going

and just disapeared and you got off in a town
that wasn't there before
or afterwarrds, not even on the brochures.
mary angela douglas 12 february 2015; 18 november 2023
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