ROSES AFTER THREE DAYS

I loved the roses.
Now the petals
curl and brown.
The aroma thickens
and grows pungent,
and still
their faded beauty recalls
the bloom
of sudden pleasure
and of new unfolding hope.
And though the water
clouds and diminishes
in the vase
it still nourishes the stems
that gently sip
at the dregs
seeking more.

by Diane E. Dockum
© 2015