Flowers by the side of the road - Poem

Flowers by the side of the road

They were so young
So innocent and free
Not a care in the world
Their whole lives ahead of them
They had plans like all teenagers in love do
One day they would get married in a fancy church
She would wear white; he would wear a posh morning suit
There would be flowers and singing
A choir of children
The scent of lilies and roses would fill the church right up to the highest point in the roof
Music and laughter would fill the air
There would be balloons and streamers
A huge cake with a little bride and groom perched on the top
People would cry tears of happiness for the newly married couple
Confetti and rose petals would litter the ground where they walked
It would be the happiest day of their lives
A special day to remember forever
In their minds they could picture the occasion
Sun shining brightly
A brilliant blue sky
They would be together forever, nothing and no one could pull them apart

Now she sits alone by the window watching the world pass by
Staring at the happy faces and wondering where it all went wrong
Looking at the people holding hands and kissing, obviously very much in love
The love in her heart has long since died
Her memories twisted and distorted by years of pain and anguish
Her dreams shattered, lying in pieces on the ground
All of her hopes for the future extinguished in one cruel night
Taken away from her with one cruel blow
Tears of joy replaced by anger and pain
Happiness replaced by sorrow and a reluctance to face every day
Darkness where once there was light
A dead end where once a future was mapped out
There will be no wedding now, no fairy tale bride
All that is left is a pile of ashes and a bouquet of flowers by the side of the road

She stands by the road side and tries to hold back her tears
Every anniversary of his death she comes to this spot
Every year she hopes that coming here will ease the pain
Just maybe she can recapture some of the love she once felt
Maybe coming here she can melt her now cold heart
Passers by look at her and point
They do not know her story; they cannot feel the hurt inside of her
Rising up like a volcano waiting to erupt
It may have happened many years a go but to her it still feels raw like it was yesterday
Her heart has been ripped in two
Standing here she feels close to him once more
She can feel his breath on her neck
Hear his words in her ear
Feel his touch on her arm
Is it an illusion or does his spirit linger on?

Tears fall silently down her face
She places a bunch of lilies and roses by the side of the road
A reminder of days gone by
Of the life she once had
Of the plans they once made
All she has left to remember him by are flowers by the side of the road

It was alcohol that killed him
A night out with friends
Fun and a few beers, a tragedy waiting to happen
Behind the wheel of a car a deadly combination
His life cut short so suddenly
Such a waste

A man rots in prison for causing his death
He says he feels remorse but she doesn’t care
What is done is done
Nothing can bring him back now

She walks away from the spot where he died head held high
Dignity her saving grace
Looking over her shoulder she remembers their plans then casts one last glance at the flowers by the side of the road



This piece was inspired by a song called Flowers by the Side of the Road.