daisies

when i was a child
a boy approached me in the playground
and handed me a daisy with a grin 
such a simple gesture
those acts of kindness meant so much to me then
my response was to rip the daisy in half
and present him with two of my own
but as i turned around to pick them
he ran
and when i turned back
i had two daisies
but nobody to give them to

i had good intentions
but perhaps lacked consideration
from his perspective, the girl he liked
ripped his daisy in half 
and turned her back on him 

i still think about it sometimes
today while drifting between sleep and consciousness 
what if he'd stayed?

i wish i had two daisies
to give to the boy i love now
but it's winter, they're not so easy to find
and i could send them in a package
but i think they'd be a little worn before reaching him

when he visits, and the air is warmer
i'll stick daisies in his hair
leave them on his pillow
trace them on his shoulders
make them into necklaces
and make them into crowns
until he gives me a daisy
and i'll tell him i am proud

daisies or compliments
they both mean the same
and this time, i won't need to imagine
what it would feel like
for him to stay.