farewell flowers

I ran my hands through the sky and pulled
the prettiest flowers from a patch of blue and white
Holding fast to my bouquet
I cheered and dance and celebrated love's way

then in the distance
a twinkle blinded me briefly
and tripping towards a city drain
I fell and dropped the flowers in the street
Dark waters from the rains began to rush around
but still I fell pounding my palms into the pavement ground
until in a braced scramble I landed hard, crying out

"Oh no! Where are my flowers?!"

but it was too late
a layer of slime and piss had spewn o'er each soft petal
browning the innards and smothering them well
I watched in a horror as my darlings rolled about
lurching in the slew and the slop of the city
nestling deeply in feces and spit
I watched them, in helplessness, fall through the street drain

No! I cried out and reached
but grasped only cold steel
and it stank back up at me, wreaking truth:
I had buried my flowers, in an accidental dance
trying to catch my feet while I let them fall
to the nasty death that washed by

Now my flowers are dead
There is no blue sky or field above
or warm night stars to share with love
only an empty road ahead of me
without scent, color
nothing familiar, nothing to see
nowhere to follow

and sick to my stomach with the imagination
I must let them go, let them drown
and move on

so finally rests here
an end to my blandest story
of those pretty flowers so quaint
surprising conclusion
to my bright illusion
ends sadly in pitiful taint