Happy Birthday, Sweetheart

chocolate raindrops twisting and dropping

heavy as the wet summer air

sweeter than the orange blossom tree

her birthday cake

grounds the party in delight

brightened with sugary lemonade

and sparkling streamers

the girls wear yellow dresses

grass caresses their bare ankles

honeybees buzz the tea sandwiches

ants tickle the macarons

beneath the Happy Birthday banner

flashing in the breeze

the red and white picnic blanket

covers freshly churned earth

beneath the kiddie pool

a splash of blood

a discarded steak knife

a missing father

a birthday girl

and a chocolate cake

dedication - for him