Her Jewelry Box

When I asked my wife to marry me, ‘neath a golden moon, I said I could not give her the moon and the stars, but, “Each special day I will give you a piece of jewelry,” I said, Then, jokingly, “When I am gone, you can wear your jewels To the Caribbean and snatch up a younger, wealthy lover.” I did not think I would survive her, being much older, so, After she was gone, I opened her jewelry box and found Her jewels—a lilac amethyst ring, a chartreuse citron pinkie, An anniversary ring with a precious aquamarine, among others, And, the coral necklace we found on the island of Barbados. Born in July under the sign of Cancer, I had longed to find her A ruby birthstone necklace, scarce and expensive as saffron. On a road trip out west, we ran across an outlet jewelry store Having a huge liquidation sale, and there, marked down, I found Her a crimson ruby solitaire pendant as sparkling as could be. We came home from Mexico with her oval watermelon pendant, And a Mexican opal, lemon with a firing of iridescent tangerine, Which she had carefully wrapped in a exquisite lavender cachet. She had taken the money her father had given her before he passed And purchased a beautiful pearl necklace--she wore it only once. Written April 4, 2021 for "Changing Colors Poetry Contest" sponsored by Emile Pinet