Geraniums

I found some oils for a broken heart

And smoothed them on my wrists and arms,

Crossed them on my chest and crossed my hands,

And let them fill the air around my head

I smiled, because I smelled geraniums.

I remembered a plastic horse with a curling tail

That also smelled of geraniums,

And a host of sweet memories came trotting back:

A room with a bed, a white dresser, and toys,

A closet with a typewriter and colored keys,

Mewing kittens, music, and laughter,

A yellow record player with colorful bears,

And a hundred silly games with friends.

A house that was home and a family that was complete,

A happy life for little girls unburdened by life's troubles.

I remembered that magic exists,

Because everything was possible

When a horse could smell like geraniums.

I slept the sweetest sleep in months

with my nose tucked into the crook of my arm,

And the scent of geraniums dancing around my head,

And a happy heart unburdened by life's troubles.