Larkspur

Sunscreen stung my eyes as we walked

King’s Canyon Trail to see wildflowers,

and I had no way of getting it out.

Carolyn passed me a larkspur blossom

I held till the end. No talking. A lecture.

I recalled holding another blossom

at lakeside with the family and friends

of breast-cancer ladies, ourselves on land,

each given a rose, while they, the focus, 

including Carolyn, floated offshore 

a few meters away in their dragon boats,

done racing, paddles across gunnels.

We on land were told, on a signal, 

to toss our flowers into the water

all together, which we did. 

We all threw our blossoms into the water

and that made us cry.

My eyes filled again and the stinging was gone.