Too soon after the promising bloom
of those opening blossoms,
they slumped and fell to the table top
leaving their sad lives scattered over a doily
and light beams that laughed their way
across the room from the window
This morning was broken light and scattered storms
high-blowing clouds shadowed the back hill
and intermittent rain companioned sharp
clean light after each stage of darkness.
A cool spring tiptoed through a screen left open
and blew each petal to the floor.
Your exiting words were somewhere on the ground
near the petals and dust not vacuumed since Saturday
but it was not within my want or my need to clean
up a mess that you designed for engagement.
I let the petals fall. I left the dust settle.
Before I left, I closed the window.