In Just One Week They Said That You Were Dead Poem by Mary Angela Douglas

another poem to Valerie, driven out of office but not
out of Poetry*

in just one week they said that you were dead;
(the self-appointed coroners):
or a dead letter arriving at the post office
they already owned

lock, stock, and barrel as the expression goes.
they could not even rank your insouciance at
daring to accept an honor bestowed,
not demanded.

well, who are the ticket holders anyway?
was asked by some

but not by the press
who marshaled their columns like generals.
and is it expertise that is required wept the moon

in ivory,
reduced to this.
oh all anonymous saints have wept the same

Light.

I do believe
the cognescenti,
(Dante may have said, from his particular Heaven) -

call this: Poetry.

mary angela douglas 1 august 2014

*To Valerie Macon, recent poet laureate of North Carolina who in one week was so lambasted by the drummed up 'outrage' and 'uproar' of former poet laureates that she resigned.

are you proud of yourselves, then, my Grandmother would have asked them, her voice like music.

Since she's no longer here, I ask it for her.