Walking down the sidewalk of my suburban neighborhood Littered with wild flowers clumsily drifting across our path A path beaten down by the hurtful feet of children at play Flowers struck down from the bicycles speeding past
Until one day, one particularly flower caught my eye Red, full, leaning deliriously into my field of vision I plucked the top from it's green stem and pressed it to my lips Sweet, soft, and fragrant I traced my eyes, cheeks, and lips with it
Then stuffed it in my shirt, hard, against my chest So when my mother took my clothes off to bathe me it fell on the floor And I screamed and cried and picked the crumbled petals from the bathroom rug Raced to my bedroom, **** naked, to put it somewhere safe
And every morning I'd stuff the wilted petals and stale sepal down into my pockets Until finally there was nothing left but the dust of a once beautiful flower Heartbroken, that is the day I realized beauty is to be admired, not suffocated But realization and affirmation are too very different things