Plumeria Fields

by Annette
(Kealakekua, HI)

We used to stroll through the plumeria fields
You would hold my hand and stroke my hair
You said you loved the way my skin picked up the fragrance of the air
You said you loved me more than life itself.

You don’t talk to me anymore
You sit on the couch and stare into space
You eat the food that I cook without so much as a thank you
You don’t say you love me anymore.

I sit and wait for you to come home
You come in the door three hours late
You say, “ I had to work late, hun… what’s for dinner?”
I can smell the plumeria flowers on your skin.