She could not see the flowers
as an act of kindness,
as a thank you for sharing
some of her time with me
The expensive bouquet
was still there on the counter
Monday morning when she left
The roses, azaleas, and carnations,
even the inanimate vase,
seemed saddened and troubled
at having been seen as an apology
for a crime where no charges
had yet been leveled
I could only imagine the wounds
someone had inflicted on her,
and wonder if I had enough bandages
to apply a fresh compress
to her distrust of flowers
As it turned out, I did not