Herbert White Poem by Mary Angela Douglas

its polished obsidian with one small diamond star, the setting

but the star makes all the difference

a smooth gold ring my Grandmother wore

that strangely was his, when he was 12, her merry brother,

Herbert

I never thought to ask how he came to have it

I just accepted the beauty of the ring before me

the tragic story of Herbert how he died doing

chores for his older brother and caught scarlet fever

or something from the cats

or maybe he was older than 12 when he died

but my Grandmother Lucy Jane was the baby of the family

and Herbert was next in age and the one who looked after her

the most such a cheerful brother who understood everything

even how one small star in the darkest night

can make all the difference.

mary angela douglas 4 january 2023