TROUT   [4] 

  Gaude flore virginali

How almost transparent
the vellum, how smooth
under her finger the painted
border; the tiny flowers so
colourful, their names
a litany: mirabilis,
euphorbia,
symphoricarpos, 
artemisa,
angelica, archangelica
umbelliferae. She names
them out aloud, reads the
pictures to herself. Here
is the edge of the initial O,
Obsecro te, with filigree so
delicate, the gold ever
so slightly cold to the touch.
She looks up, lilium candidum
in the vase before her:
recognises the image. Of course,
she is wearing her best
dress, blue, she'd know it
anywhere, lapus lazuli;
it makes the page so
expensive. She lifts her
face, the ray of light
gentle as a shadow;
remembers, 
once upon a time.
Stands there.
Says something. Is looking
straight at her.
 

Back to Mary Reading ...