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50 roses for thirty-one years

50 roses and a bottle of beer

for me, but for you 

a glass of cool water

four sons and a 

daughter-in-law are 

plenty to show for

thirty-one years and a 

room full of roses

thirty-one years full of

snuggled up noses and toes

in the heat of the night

when everything’s right

nothing’s wrong,

and every mistake’s a new song

we will sing like the first time

we sat at that piano and

sang for our supper, tea for two,

me for you, you forever it seems

like just yesterday now 

looking back out that window,

a road trip that we once took,

a trip we will trip again for

thirty-one years and fifty red roses,

our vase overflows and our heart beats

like city lights bookstore and ginsburg

and old memories moved aside and

make room for spur of the moment casino drives,

twenty-five bucks for you, and

twenty-five more for me,

we sit down and spend someone else’s cash

we got for free, watch it go

one dollar at a time, every last penny

and every last dime until we

walk out into the night with 

our winnings between us,

our own lucky stars, 

like 50 roses that wait for you,

red colored, flesh colored 

50 fresh roses for thirty-one years,

still my coffee,  

still my beer,

still your water,

still you’re near.

Still roses for years

50 roses for 

thirty-one years.

May 27, 2009