ON OCCASION

I forget the names of my friends

and the names of the flowers in

my garden    my friends remind me

Grace    it’s us    the flowers just

stand there stunned by the sun

A long time ago my mother said

darling    there are also wildflowers

but look    these I planted

my flowers are    pink and rose and

orange    they’re sturdy    they make

new petals every day to fill in

their fat round faces

suddenly before thought I

called out ZINNIA    zinnia

zinnia    along came a sunny

           summer breeze    they swayed

           lightly bowed    I said    Mother