Small Fluted Pastel Paper Cups Held Coloured Almonds Poem by Mary Angela Douglas

small fluted pastel paper cups held coloured almonds,
salted nuts at our place settings.
wrapped in gold, the trinkets we would carry home

tied with curled blue ribbons.
the denouement: strawberry ice cream!
with a slab of cake and frosted white and pink and green o
why did it seem then we were kings and queens

holding our breath and birthday dreams
then, blowing out the sun.
anything could have happened then,
even all the wonders.

old tvs flicker with their rabbit ears
even when the set's switched off.
we watch all the reruns now
in colour, when they're on.

revisiting those family scenes
and wishing they were more than dreams
and only down the block

and we could run there fleet as fireflies
where they played Gershwin in the park
drifting through the grill pavillions in

fancy ball gowns the colours of bon bons
then we could see all the stars
tagged with fondest wishes

about to come true as taffeta

mary angela douglas 9 august 2014