Flowers for Mother's Day

by
Richard A. McCullough


Billy didn't have any reason
he just thought of it
and did it.

There was old grumpy Gertrude Simpson's
flower bed
and he was, walking right by.

So he grabbed a handful,
spilling broken petals
off too ripe blossoms
all over the ground.

But a few
made it all the way
clutched in his dirty fingers.
He punched the door bells
of every lady he knew.

And delivered a little broken bouquet
into every lady's hand.

Some were old and wrinkled
and they shook and trembled
the little offered blossoms.

Some were young and fluttered
cradling the tosseled blossoms
like one would handle
a wounded bird.

But they all smiled
each and every one.

The young girls
suddenly transformed to ladies
subtly drawn taller
and gracious.

Their eyes speaking a wisdom
that they themselves hardly knew.

And the older ladies
their stiff old faces
thawed
and they looked bashful
and coquettish
glowing with an almost forgotten youth.

Grumpy Gertrude was the last.
Billy's battered tennis shoes
bearing the evidence
of her ravaged flower bed,
anchored themselves to the boards
of her front porch.

His soil streaked thumb
punched the door bell.
His blue eyes staring out
of a freckled face.

He heard Gertrude unlock
the door,
saw her shadowed features
grumbling behind the screen door.

And when she had opened it
just far enough
to demand
what this little hoodlum wanted?

Billy withdrew
the last battered bouquet
from behind his back
and holding it out to her, said

"Happy Mother's Day, Mrs. Simpson."

Gertrude Simpson cried.
Holding the little towhead
against her breast
she cried.

And seeing her decimated flower garden
she tried to be angry.
But when he told her
what he had done.

Gertrude thought of all the years
she had carefully tended that garden
and never once
had anyone brought her any flowers.

So, she held him
and looked back
across all the years
and cried.

Billy wondered about
the mysteries of "women"
and knew that
he would never understand.

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© copyright 2011 - Richard A McCullough is the creator & editor of http://www.write-better-fiction.com the Fiction Writers source for Writing Better Fiction Faster and Selling More of What You Write.

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