when spring arrives

when spring arrives


i. primrose

salmon rosettes bloom
Spring’s first breath
Winter defeated

you tickles spots within
warms chills
first kiss from pink lips
makes knees wobble

sweet aroma remains
silk scarf left behind
stuffed in pillowcase

I dream of you


ii. daisy

love me or not
plucked until
one leaflet remains

you are the one

nerves overwhelm
I ask if you will journey
into uncharted paths

yellow centers with white asterales
descend from Heaven
when you say

yes


iii. snapdragons

we cultivate gardens
till soil
plant trees, blossoms
your favorite
pink clusters with angry faces

the following April
cough persists
blood drains from mouth

doctor’s diagnosis
bequeaths news
words dreaded most

how long? I inquire

doom fills bloated silence


iv. tulip

waxen stance
as coffin passes
tears suppressed
eyes sore
disconsolate grief
dazed disbelief

faded crimson petals
tinges with yellow fold
on once vibrant chest
perfect yet fragile

cursed by nature’s storms


v. hydrangea

we play peek-a-boo
smiles glow iridescent
still on all-fours

one day you will inquire
where she disappeared
you possess her eyes
pale baby blues
bushy florets of hair
tied in satin ribbons

bitter truth lodges in pharynx