Valentines Day

Since he has been gone a year.
or an eternity,
I searched through my vases
for that glass decanter with rosebuds.

Several years ago he gave me 
a dozen red roses
with the usual sweet valentine,
probably the biggest on the shelf.

I kept the roses until they
were dry,  still fragrantly intense.
Too beautiful to discard,
cherishing each petal, I
stored them in the vase.

Today each petal is so dry,
their fragrance dust.  When
each petal reminds me
of a touch, a hug, a  kiss,
I cannot throw them away.