Kerria Japonica

Her petals unfold and flutter among dark leaves,
Shimmering, dancing in moonlight
Streaming from the window
Where the peonies sit, watching her,
Green with jealousy,
Knowing that one day she will stand tall
While they are pressed into books and photo albums
Slipped between sheets of paper
As a sweet, fleeting form of beauty
Before wilting and drying,
Thrown with empty wrappers and used teabags
Into blinding darkness
Before her youthful days are even over.