I walk in the twilight
in June—a time when
kids find love easy along
with the Internet and
cigarettes. I walk around
the century plus ten
years house to see if
my mother-in-law’s
Tiger Lilies are in bloom.
A single blossom out
of three opens on the
stem. I think of you.
Corrie’s dog cries as
puppies do when the
attention is never
enough. “I feel the same
way Rosie when I hear
you cry,” I say. Think of
Corrie. Think of Jack.
Make wishes without
candles on a cake, and
I’m at an age where I
understand most dreams
don’t come true.
But I still wish for Corrie
to pick the Tiger Lily,
and for me
to say, “Why did you
you pick your
Grandmother’s
Tiger Lilies?”
“They’re so pretty,” she
replies. “I picked them
for you.”
I walk in the twilight
in June—a time when
kids find love easy along
with the Internet and
cigarettes. I walk around
the century plus ten
years house to see if
I still hear … you.

Oh wow, reading this made me tear up. It’s very visceral and beautiful. I especially enjoyed the first few lines, a great hook.
Thank you! I’ve struggled with whether I want to write poems lately or not about her, but those lines came to me as I was walking around last night on the farm.