Late Summer Roses
by Gavin Austin


The late summer roses
in her garden
know something of love
and loss,
she muses,
standing at the sink

She wonders
if they have regrets…

the kitchen clock,
measuring out moments,
pulses above her…

from the crystal vase,
a wedding gift from his aunt,
a scarlet petal falls
to the floor
as she finds her perfect escape






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