Ninety-Nine Cents a Rose

[couchgrouch]

Ninety-Nine Cents a RoseHad a hard day at the officebut I just cut my lossesand looked forward to dinner that nightmy wife was making Chicken Chesapeakeit's her mama's recipeand heaven in ev'ry biteon the way homeI stopped at the Quick Mart storepicked up a few thingsand a six pack of Coorsfour ounce jar of Folger's instantCoffee Mate and a pack of Winston'sgrabbed the new Sports Illustratedcan't b'lieve Randy Johnson got tradedas I stood in line that nightbehind the Slim Jims and TV Guidesthere was a pale of flowerssweet smelling, raspberry redI laid my junk on the counterand saw a sign that saidchorus ninety-nine cents a rose take one home tonight it's the least you can do for the light of your life so let your love show ninety-nine cents a rosewell, I stared at that signput my Coffee Mate backchose the brightest rosehad a dime left after taxI walked out the doorset the bag on topof my old Accordthought of my beautiful wifeand what she meant to my lifewond'ring if all I could affordchorus was ninety-nine cents a rose take one home tonight it's the least you can do for the light of your life so let your love show ninety-nine cents a roseI pictured all she didwith the house and kidsI've got a job but she has most of the workshe asks how my day wentwhen my day don't begintill I get home to herso I fished the receipt from the bagsaid I didn't mean to make that clerk madbut could I return it all including the beerand buy all the flowers you've got herebut he just grinnedand even tossed in a few centsI was able to payfor a full bouquetto show my lady what she meantchorus at ninety-nine cents a rose I took 'em all that night it's the least I could do for the love of my life I let my heart show ninety-nine cents a rose(c)2005 Robert George