From now on, it begins to die
Poem by Carrie Lynne Hawthorne
he looks at the sunflower
he grew from a seed
its first day in full bloom
for me it’s birth,
love, life itself
petals thrown back
a buxom blonde caught
in a flattering rush of wind
I swear she just winked at me
he puts me up next to her
I stand on tip toes, a foot smaller
frizzy hair, lemon face, pursed lips
she is prettier, naturally, knows not
what it is to be past her prime
he clicks a photo, and I remember
snapshots of me
did he know, at thirty
I was his full bloom?
did he know the next day
he would find my pollen
strewn on the leaves below
it would go
to queen bees who
guard their precious honey
he would taste
me in his tea garden
I dare him to plant
seeds of mine,
generations of me
blooming endlessly
Carrie Lynn Hawthorne is a writer and mother from Pasadena, CA. You can find her work in Hennepin Review, Sunlight Press, Cultural Daily, and more. For links to her recent publications, go to carrielynnhawthorne.com.
