Mary Ellen Talley

Dinnerplate discs
rise, bend,
and kiss driveway concrete.

I rescue a handful
while still-fresh yellow
petals spread.

Now faces bright as a birthday
emerge from a tall vase
in the room where you slept.

I discard withered faces
and dump tall stalks
in the yard waste bin,

tie the last tall blooms 
to a fence post
as the seasons face change.

Mary Ellen Talley’s poems have appeared in journals including Gyroscope, Deep Wild, and Banshee as well as in multiple anthologies. She has three published chapbooks: Postcards from the Lilac City from Finishing Line Press, Taking Leave from Kelsay Books, and Infusion online at Red Wolf Journal. Her website is www.maryellentalley.com.