Yellow Severed

the first thing I ever gave a girl?

I gave flowers.

I gave flowers to a girl I didn’t know

no tender

red

strings attached

being young, she was younger

could just utter words

each time I saw her

she was

alone

I never left the brick fence,

inside

she stood,

outside

I would pass daisies through the

C r a c k s

on the walls

and let them bunch up in gold rows

I knew flowers made girls happy

plucked and passed

I had no need for daisies growing on the floor,

older Sister witnessed

sitting in a tree :

KI-SS-ING

First comes love,

Then comes marriage,

Then comes baby in the golden carriage.

Red

Strings came crashing down

labeled

I never saw her again

daisies never grew back.