My father loved gardenias.
Easter I'd find one by my place at the table
to wear to church.
Their rich smell and leathery leaves
baffled me as a child.
Later I came to love them.
Gardenias bloom today outside my door.
Dad also loved chocolate.
Chocolate hearts and cards
graced our dinner table each Valentine's Day.
My sister found his giant chocolate bar
after he died.
Mom preferred savory things, sausages, cheeses,
the roses that lined our front walk.
Do fathers still give daughters corsages?
We are so casual now even at church.
(Jeans have their place but it's not everywhere.)
I adore men in summer suits.
Women in gossamer dresses.
Girls in smocked pinafores.
We've misplaced our elegance.
A WELL TRAVELED HEART 