Lily's Rose Garden

                                          The cloudless summer day
                                    beckoned him to the rose garden,
                                                "her"rose garden.
                                    Opening the gate he wondered,
                                how long had it been since he dared
                                    to walk on this hallowed ground?
                                      The flower's fragrant welcome
                                                  encircled him,
                                      drawing Charles' memory back
                                      to his Lily, his wife of 52 years.
                                            How many times did
                                they stand at this ancient garden gate,
                                          sharing gentle kisses,
                                              tender embraces?
                                                As he reached
                                      her precious flowering children...
                                    Charles hung his head in shame.
                              The weeds of time were slowly choking
                                    the life out her prized beauties.
                              He could almost hear her chiding voice...
                                        "Oh Charlie, will you look
                                      at these wicked weeds? Tsk tsk.
                                      The minute my back is turned"...
                                  With his eyes brimming with tears,
                                              blinding him at first,
                                            he reached for a vine...
                                        while his mind was drawn
                                              backwards by time.
                                  He could see his Lily in all her beauty
                                                  right at home,
                                            amidst these flowers.
                                    More beautiful than her fairest rose...
                                at first Charles was shaken to the core,
                                              for this was as real
                                            as he'd ever seen her.
                              Just as her hand seem to brush his arm
                                                    he realized,
                                        his Lily was there before him...
                            then as suddenly as she was there, she was gone!
                                  He dropped to the ground and sobbed.
                                      What cruel vision would leave him
                                                    in such a state...
                                          and then he heard the wind
                                                      whispering...
                                      "Charlie, take care of our children
                                and remember my love, where ever there is
                                  a rose blooming, I will be there with you"...
                              Lily's Charlie continued weeding the rose bed,
                                    all the while he felt her loving hands
                                                      guiding him.
                                    Feeling a pride swelling inside of him,
                                  with the knowledge that he was nurturing
                                    the only children they had ever known.