Her Jewelry Box
When I asked my wife to marry me, ‘neath a golden moon,
I said I could not give her the moon and the stars, but,
“Each special day I will give you a piece of jewelry,” I said,
Then, jokingly, “When I am gone, you can wear your jewels
To the Caribbean and snatch up a younger, wealthy lover.”
I did not think I would survive her, being much older, so,
After she was gone, I opened her jewelry box and found
Her jewels—a lilac amethyst ring, a chartreuse citron pinkie,
An anniversary ring with a precious aquamarine, among others,
And, the coral necklace we found on the island of Barbados.
Born in July under the sign of Cancer, I had longed to find her
A ruby birthstone necklace, scarce and expensive as saffron.
On a road trip out west, we ran across an outlet jewelry store
Having a huge liquidation sale, and there, marked down, I found
Her a crimson ruby solitaire pendant as sparkling as could be.
We came home from Mexico with her oval watermelon pendant,
And a Mexican opal, lemon with a firing of iridescent tangerine,
Which she had carefully wrapped in a exquisite lavender cachet.
She had taken the money her father had given her before he passed
And purchased a beautiful pearl necklace--she wore it only once.
Written April 4, 2021
for "Changing Colors Poetry Contest"
sponsored by Emile Pinet
Copyright © L Milton Hankins | Year Posted 2021
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