O flower
I look upon your petals supple and lithe
Layered neatly
One upon the next
Each withers
Revealing yet another
And these petals spent fall
Floating to the ground
Having served the world with
Beauty-bright
O flower savor this moment
When your petals
Still damp from
Fresh
Dewy morns
Stand humbly upright for
Foggy afternoons
Night’s tired slumber
Misty ocean air
Stinging rains
Boisterous winds
Still you stand
Looking for one source
To nourish not your petals
But your heart
To which pinks and reds
Yellows and oranges
Layer upon layer
Show proudly externally
What surely is internal
And these petals
Float to ground
Like each day passing
Only to remind that
A heart set in beauty
Hold petals serene
In the palm of her hand
This flower.
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