Dear mister flower man, this ode is an attempt to help you understand.
I realize that my sudden lack of patronage has left you in a bind; 
after all, five and ten dollars a day 
missing from your profits you suddenly find.  
Let see how much is that in real terms, 
five times five is twenty five I long ago learned.  
And, twenty five times four is one hundred, this I am sure.
Not to mention the holidays that you could always trust me 
to hit you off with something extra large, 
no not plastic for cash you would always charge.
Those words we would exchange, 
the smiles, the understanding of the love I had for her 
that I un-shamefully proclaimed.  
“Hey man, are you going to be out here late?” I would ask.  
To be sure that you had the bundles of flowers 
for me to take home to my beloved, 
just in case I had to work late to buy her the things she coveted. 
Now when I pass, we do not even say hello; 
I hold my head down and make sure I do not look you in the eye, 
because I think you know.  
My love has left me and all I have now are bills, 
memories and nothing to show.  
The incontinences it has caused you, 
what was that, one hundred dollars plus more on holidays too?
Mister flower man please do not get the wrong I idea;  
I am very glad to see that your business is still there.  
It is just that I no longer have the need for flowers, 
yet still I have to work extra hours.  
For as it turns out, while I was buying her flowers; 
she was calculating how to take me to the showers.  
Now I have no family, woman or reason 
to bring home roses, sun flowers or gardenias.
So in closing, I hope we can still be friends 
and maybe one day I will be your best customer again.  
And if I did not say thanks for questioning my sudden lack of buying, 
well thank you for not making me lie 
about a love that was lost before it were found 
and confess to all the dead flowers I still keep around.