He watches his victim like a tiger watches
his prey, observing its every move, waiting
for the ideal moment to strike.
He pounces and snaps its delicate neck
with one stroke, but he is full of greed and yearns
for more, and so he snaps
every surrounding neck until the earth is barren and unwanted.
He plucks and cleans each one thoroughly,
trimming broken edges
and tearing away superfluous pieces. He
places them in bottles
of blown glass with crimson rims and fuchsia bowls,
and when he is done, he carries them out into the rain
and places them on the front porch of a cedar house that
surrendered long ago. A smile plays across his lips
as he leaves behind a simple
abode that now looks wanted, encircled
with a pungent sweetness.
VPR's coverage of arts and culture in the region.
Young Writers Project: The Flower Thief
Courtesy, RETN
