She climbs the flights of palace stairs
Her gold and silver gown a charm
Whispering gone all troubles and cares
Worries and woes that cause alarm.
Tickled by rushing mountain streams
The gentle mountains kiss the sky
The sky alive with clouds and dreams
Sinking to dusk with one last sigh.
The fiddle sings, the heartbeat drums
While through the swirling, twirling court
The kindly prince of kingdom comes
As if a sailing ship to port.
Two turtledoves flush from a tree
As prince and maiden hand in hand
Begin to dance, this dance to be
A realm of peace, a fruitful land.
Mary Meriam's poems are published in Literary Imagination, The New York Times, American Arts Quarterly, Poetry Northeast, American Life in Poetry, many other journals, and several anthologies. She is the author of two poetry chapbooks, The Countess of Flatbroke and The Poet's Zodiac; a blogger at Ms. Magazine; and the editor of Lavender Review.
Editor's note: Mary Meriam's small poem is alive with imagery. It's a great example of how just a few words can have a lot of impact, which is why it was one of the November 2012 contest winners.
