Warflowers

Jeffrey L. Taylor

March 13, 2022

They were told
they would be greeted
with flowers
and welcoming arms.

Some are already adorned,
chests poppy red,
greeted with arms,
welcomed from the West.

Snowflowers bloom
on smoking tanks,
on soldiers lying cold,
on buildings scorched
by missiles possibly meant
for somewhere else.

Snowflowers cover
what we cannot unsee.

What language has a word,
akin to widow, for a mother
whose son will not be coming home?

Jeffrey L. Taylor retired in 2001 after 40 years as a Software Engineer. Around 1990, poems started holding his sleep hostage. Unexpected for someone who did poorly in English classes. He has been published in di-vêrsé-city, Texas Poetry Calendar, Tejascovido, and The Langdon Review.