Off With Their Heads – Tea Poetry

I beheaded our 15-year-old
organic roses,
chopping off old doddering faded heads
along with matronly full blossoms, 
saucy nubile blooms,
and just-split-lip sepals revealing babysoft 
reds and pinks underneath.
I lovingly tore
their petals from their peduncles
and scattered them on drying screens,
dreaming of steaming
cups of black tea 
steeped with roses.

~(c) Karen Suriano 2009