Katrina Kaye

These flowers are not so bright
to drain radiance from your smile.
They are not so strange
to make you appear ordinary;

They accent your wink and playful smirk,
as they lace delicate fingernails.
They speak of the coming spring
and your role in blooming.

Like you, they have a story of hope which
I long to hear. Like you, they hold my gaze
and breath for a moment longer than
I expected or should have allowed.

If only you held onto those petals
a bit longer and with a bit more care,
if only you knew what the promise of spring
could bring to the heart of this old woman.

“These Flowers” is previously published in Hazy Expression (2004).