4 July 2012
As I drove home I crashed the car And died.
Standing beside the wreck Steaming And crumpled, A strange man appeared.
Carrying a bunch Of flowers.
'Call for help!' I cried. 'Why?' He replied Glancing at the car; Upside-down. Broken. Bent.
He placed the flowers On the ground By the road At the base of a sign.
'Are they for me?' I asked. 'You and everyone' He replied.
'Is that your job?' I asked. Waiting. By the road And the wreck.
He nodded a solemn Reply before Drawing a cigarette From the pocket Of his duffle coat.
'Why?' I asked him And he looked Long Hard Deep Into the core of the Earth. Long Hard Deep Into my soul And said
'Because I want to. No one did it for me'.
A soft wind blew And I waited some more. The smell of his Cigarette Invisible to smell.
In a moment I remembered everything. All joy Sorrow Madness Pleasure And pain in the dancing Dancing of my days.
I dropped a tear But sucked Up the rest And demanded
'I want to go back'.
Armed with a thousand Reasons why I waited for his Response.
'Ok' he said Flicking the cigarette end Like a glowing penny Through the air.
And in an instant the car Was as smooth As a fresh sheet Of paper.
I drove that road again Years later After living once again.
No one believed me About the old man With flowers.
The flowers were still there. Waiting. Reminding me. The end could be a moment Away.
But in that moment I won't be alone.
Because he wouldn't Want Me To be.
The Flower Man • Opuss № I