Lily-of-the-Valley grew along Grandpa's walk
Tiny white bell-blossoms with breath of heaven scent.
He pruned the yard but let the lilies engulf the path.
Sometimes you had to skirt them and walk on the grass.
Grandma had Lily-of the Valley in her wedding bouquet.
It cost twelve dollars for a dozen in 1935.
It was the Great Depression and that was a fortune
but she wanted them so he got them.
I have an old photo of her at the altar
It's a black and white, painted on the back for color.
they did things like that back then
She's holding the lovely lilies and she is lovelier
I guess lily-of-the valley are weeds
I didn't know that. He told me so, my husband
They grew in the motor-oil soil of the alley behind his growing up house.
Some even snuck under the chain link fence and his mother would root them out.
I grew up with stories of
dollar a piece lilies in bridal bouquets.
I thought everyone felt that way about them.
these wee white wedding bells
There are ancient lily-of the-valley
lining the crumbling walks of our now house
Planted when the city was just a stop
on the interurban to Grand Rapids.
Someone talked of digging them up when we moved in
"you won't want them, we feel sure"
I protested, let them grow and he agreed
One woman's weed is another's wedding bower
It's 20 years now.
Grandpa's lily laced walks
have new people living within them
I dream I'm back there every night
The lily bride and her slender-pale groom
have been in their graves for nearly the same
their lives long and full
but no less painful the passing for the length of sojourn
My groom gathers our lilies in spring
and puts them in a vase
that my grandmother gave me
how we miss those silly romantics who wasted two weeks pay on weeds
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