effeuiller la marguerite (11)

effeuiller la marguerite

for the oxeye daisy

o perennial prostrate herb
arrayed in white ray or yellow
disc flowers, growing pertly
on stem’s end, unbranched
& sprouted laterally from a
creeping root.

what turn of fate brought u
to these intricate, prehensile
juvenile hands, which one day
may fashion clay creator-like,
or wield a knife assassin-like,
but today

attached to a wistful, moonstruck
african boy sitting close-eyed &

alone in a narrow, pedestrian lane,

behind a graying urban building,

plucking yr petals one by one,

needing to be cocksure

of love.

©Joseph McNair;2009