a rose and a memory...

The first rose of summer is opening.Such a brilliant red.The small bush is surrounded by colorful marigolds.The yellow,orange and red/yellow make me smile in memory of my first small garden on Long Island.Those grew from seed and when the first shoots actually appeared in the dark earth,I nearly fainted from joy.A dried old wisp of a seed produced this ?

Memories are like that for me now.To have lived long enough to look deeply at things that happened with new, yet old eyes. In my early twenties, I had a boyfriend, a dreamy looking Irish lad whose green eyes shone with mirth.We had many dates, a Military Ball, trips to the beach and restaurants by the ocean.Tall, lanky and young.I can see him still that night when he appeared at my door with a stunning bouquet of flowers; roses,I think.My cousin was visiting and, not being socially adept, I blurted out,"What did you do now?" Foolish words to impress a relative. How those words must have brought his spirits down,he giving a gift from the heart for no reason.The card read,"For sentimental reasons."I have it still

This was a summer romance. A beach romance, holding sunburned salty hands, singing and dancing  to 60s music. A perfect love that didn't last through the fall.How many childish things did I do to push him away ? He ended it in November but then at least once a month, he came by to take me out.February:Valentine's. March: St.Patrick's Day and then in April, no visit. Late that month an accident took his life.

The day was warm as I drove past our school,Hofstra University, with the windows open. As I went by, I smelled his after shave. No one was around to leave that scent and later that day, a visit from a mutual friend with the sad news :the night before there had been a car accident on Sunrise Highway.He was 21 and he died in April of 1965.I wonder if his family would like to know that he is remembered with fondness and prayed for.He left me but kept coming back.I see now that something held us. It still does.