Gardening with JD

Life is like a rose, he says, unfurling and unpredictable,
a transformation. Even death comes beautifully,
dried petals and cinnamon in an antique crystal bowl.
That’s enough, I say, you’ve gone too far this time, but he’s
watching Wheel of Fortune with his widowed uncle
and refuses to believe that life is short and full of pain.
There’s a box of brand new baby clothes in my bedroom
corner, I say, price tags still attached. I went out to buy
some milk, deposit a check. Happiness is easy, he says,
I found a coffee mug buried beneath the opened sheet
sets in a bin marked 60 percent off. It was even my favorite
color. I want to scream I’m color blind. I want to scream
I’m no flower. Instead I say, I miss you, because I do. Life is
a surprise, he says, and I tell him he’s right. Who
could have guessed our first fight would be about potpourri?

 

 

About the Poet:
Although she received her MFA in Creative Writing from American University more than 25 years ago, Beth Gordon can best be described as an emerging writer. She is the proud mother of three creative human beings, Matt, Alex and Elise, who fill her world with art and music. Beth resides in St. Louis, Missouri and spends most weekends in Highland, Illinois in the company of fellow writers, musicians, wine drinkers, and two dogs named Izzie and Max.

 

 

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