NaPoWriMo – Poem #4

Roses
soft and velvety
heavy with sweet musk
their scent fills my nostrils
phantom smells
haunting my senses

A rose tattoo
covered her breast,
one lush bloom cresting the cleavage
one long stem dipping into her sternum
was it promise
or warning

Perhaps a tantalizing peak
at the sensuous treasures
bestowed to the worthy,
thoroughly broken man,
she chose

But roses decay
soft petals turn brittle
musky sweetness
becomes sickly,
enough to choke
tender senses

Roses
adorned her casket
pale pink and scarlet red
reminiscent of the lush
lively woman resting
inside

Still, the phantom
smell of fresh cut roses
wafts through my memory
and the shriveled rose
revives itself
living brief moments
once more