Love blossom

Love flower of the middle-aged,

The interanimating pain

And beauty in the way the stalk

Bends under the unexpected weight

Of the still uncrumpling gaudy tissue

Of the newest blossom while

the lower blossoms like a ghostly

time lapse in reverse appearto shrivel into themselves and turnaway for

lorn before they fall,the way the snapshot fell from its sleeve

into her lap, and there she was,my new love with her old love years

before beside a lake with bluehills in the distance rolling down

to bluer water, and there they were,the lovers, naked, hand in hand,

both smiling back
at me a smile

of joy so new, so mischievous

you couldn't look at it and not

believe no lovers ever gave

themselves so freely to each other.

The flower bends under the blossom'sweight;

it trembles, bending it almostseems to hold it up,

as ifto hold it there forever,

its oneand only darling,

honey child, how did I ever live without you?

How could I ever let you go?