SNOW DANCING AT MIDNIGHT

by Mary K O'Melveny


backlit snow flirts
against dark skies
circles   flutters    swirls
like meteor showers 
or surprised sparrows
miracles are expected
of us when angels
pirouette   laughing
in frosted midnights
they dance
against darkness
mingle like fireflies
as light and movement
interweave
among  deep thoughts
sometimes sparks
explode
against blackness
so deep
we cannot fathom
our decline
cannot focus
our sights
on true north

in this immaculate
auditorium
where our hushed
audience drifts past us
we can re-evaluate
everything
which dream
gave us pause
which sharp regret
sped us toward
ancient galaxies
which memory
should vanish   forever
press your finger
against my lips
so I do not spoil
this night of
frozen carousels

it is so quiet
I believe we could
hide in our meadow
as drifts pile high
and re-tell our story
as if it was new


* * * * *

"Snow Dancing at Midnight" is part of Mary K O'Melveny's new poetry collection Dispatches from the Memory Care Museum (Kelsay Books, 2021)

Mary K O’Melveny (www.marykomelvenypoet.com) lives with her wife in Woodstock NY and Washington DC. A Pushcart Prize nominee and award recipient in national and international poetry contests, including Slippery Elm Literary Journal Poetry Competition, The Pangaea Prize (The Poet’s Billow), Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Competition, Writer’s Digest Annual Poetry Competition, Anthology Magazine Poetry Prize, Mary’s poetry appears in many literary journals, anthologies, national blog sites such as Writing In A Woman’s Voice and in three collections: A Woman of a Certain Age, Merging Star Hypotheses  (Finishing Line Press 2018, 2020), Dispatches From the Memory Care Museum (Kelsay Books 2021).