Riddle in the Rubbish

Riddle in the Rubbish

Blooms in trash can rather than stems
trimmed, fan-arranged, manning table.

To dump roses forecloses love,
poses question: Is this not wrong?

They are not old, buds unfolded,
behold petals bold with crimson.

In my mind, why?  Love awry, how?
Poor guy rebuffed. Sighing, I eye

the bouquet spurned, unreturned gift
adjourned to scrap; yearned once, now scorned?

A heart betrayed?  Sad, unswayed mood?
Cascade of sobs, laid curbside tears?

Loss embitters, love’s litter shows
frittering fool, her squandered charm.

Do-right woman seeks a man true!
Vegan welcomed, fan of peace – cool!

Oh, maybe death - a bereft soul -
fate’s theft stole life, left all alone?

Flowers of grief?  No relief came
with leaf, thorn, bloom: brief floral praise.

Roses displaced go to waste? I
embraced them in haste and walked off

with the bunch copped, blooms adopted,
sweet, optional-shopped street flowers.


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12 Stanza elaborate Than-Bauk linking couplets, inspired by alfred booth, wanbli ska
Special thanks to Northernwrites for revision help.

A Than-Bauk is "climbing rhyme" poem of Burmese origin. The rhyme is on the last syllable of the first line, the second to last syllable of the second line, etc, etc.  Here instead of separating the four lines into stanzas, I have rolled them into couplets, but the internal-rhyme pattern is the same.