Flowers Fade

Young girls are like flowers blooming
from bud to voluptuous blossom
adored in the yard but cut and brought
inside where they fade and quickly wither.

Flowers should be allowed to grow each season,
with time to bloom, or go to seed
providing others like themselves
ready to flourish for another year.

Beautiful women in all their glory
are desired and envied by many
their challenge is to grow old gracefully
be loved, healthy, wealthy and bright

but all things eventually wilt
lovers die, health diminishes
riches are lost and dementia sets in,
what was once desired, is now forgotten.

Those who still have their glory
quiver at this physical collapse,
a graphic example of how fragile
life is… a gift given then withdrawn.

The moral: enjoy youth while you can
smell the roses, dance among the daisies
wear babies’ breath in your hair
thrive in beauty whenever you can.