don't bend or drop
their petals. They’ve metal
stems from end to end.
They don't perfume the air,

like the lilac trees or
feed the hungry bees. They don't
blow in the wind or bloom
in my garden. They look like

a picture in a frame, all standing
the same height.  They don't like
water or sunlight. These types of flowers
can stay in the dark for hours. They'll

not wilt in the palm of my hand. I'll not
see them along God's green land. They’re
like a lot of women, I know. They don’t
have the power to grow.