Pale Flowers At Candlemas Chaunted The Lady Poem by Mary Angela Douglas

to Loreena McKennit, for her singing

pale flowers at Candlemas chaunted the Lady
and I will live in the space between the lilies
pale flowers are best:

they do not outshine the Light but gather
sweetness inwardly and I will not flicker
in the white dawn of pain I will not

be afraid said my sad angel echoing
the gardenias.
pale flowers are gathered and shining upon
shining, starred as snows as they were
long ago, at Candlemas;

it's the inward sparkling I believed in then.
though the needleworked heart may bleed
on the fabric of winter, on the hidden sleeve
of moonlight and I am in

winter, endlessly chaunted the Lady
of Candlemas and through the year
though May baskets come by the hour

lined with green silk, with moss with white violets
cream colored roses-
only, I will not tell you everything I know
she wept slow tears that glowed

oh, evensong
it's ivoried music at Candlemas and
the light will not go out in me:

uncherished -
Christ is the Knight of the World

mary angela douglas 4 november 2013