Prim and proper
lady,
on your honor
did you set this scene
on the table you placed a tall glass of water
alongside twenty-two
lighted candles, red
carnations as the centerpiece
every stem turned
so facing the door, so
they would be
impossible to ignore
lady, you are not a sardine
neatly stacked
inside a can.
Go out and explore
before the wax melts
the candles soften, then
leaning into another
they burn crooked.