Cut Flowers
Tiger lily, black-eyed Susan,
columbine, primrose and phlox.
Orange, cadmium, red, yellow and pink
plucked as I walked through field
and wood, green stems snapped
from root – a bundled bouquet,
a rainbow radiant as her smile
to make her smile even more.
A cheerful expectation
that this surprise would burst
into her happiness when she found
it sparkling in a crystal vase, a bright
reflection of that morning's walk
in the vibrant wind-swayed wild.
But when she saw it, her smile wilted.
So beautiful, she said, I wish
I'd been there with you.
Grandfather to a dozen grandsons, Eric Chiles wishes he had a granddaughter to spoil. He is the author of the chapbook Caught in Between (Desert Willow Press 2019), and his poetry has appeared in dozens of publications including Canary, Chiron Review, I-70 Review, Rattle, and Tipton Poetry Journal. In 2014 he completed a 10-year section hike of the Appalachian Trail. He lives in Bethlehem, PA.