Hurts Next Spring

she died in spring she had loved spring a bird outside my window chats his tone high and busy Gloria could tell you his name garden beds along the front sidewalks she had many plants, blooming throughout the first warm days in Michigan plants with long waxy leaves light purple bulb on a long shoot we'd squeeze to hear them pop if she caught us tampering, her scolding was a breath of disappointment tender petals, bruised, shredded pain life, beauty, needs protection spring is too short