THE BRIDE'S BOUQUET Jenny caught the bride's bouquet, Quite by accident, It really wasn't planned that way, Just an unforeseen event.   Poor nearsighted Jenny Hardly saw what came her way, She raised her arms in self-defense, And thus caught the bride's bouquet.   A simple, quiet, timid soul, Alone and standing on the side, And when showered with those flowers, Little Jenny almost died. That night she took the flowers home, And placed them in a plain glass vase, Then sat back and looked at them, How they brightened up her place.   More than a dozen baby rose buds Were squeezed into that glass, And as Jenny gazed upon them, They seemed to give the place some class.   She smelled their aroma through the night, And by dawn, they'd fully bloomed, Jenny, happy and excited, Did a two-step round the room. She opened all the windows, And let in the morning air, Then placed the roses on the sill To catch the sunshine there.   Once more she looked about her room, Which did seem colorless and plain, The roses were the one bright spot, They put the rest to shame.   Color - that's what Jenny needed, Bright and cheerful hues, New drapes, perhaps, with yellow stripes, And fringed in periwinkle blue. Maybe green pillows for the couch, And a touch of red somewhere, A new lamp of gold, she thought, Might look nice by that old chair.   Jenny's head was spinning, It reeled with all her thoughts, Why, she could turn this place into A real live Camelot.   She closed her eyes and dreamed, Dreamed of her new treasures, And soon, it seemed, the house was full Of all those things that brouht her pleasure. But then the roses, one by one, Began to drop away, The tiny, fading petals, At last had seen their day.   She cried as she wrapped the broken stems, And scooped up the fallen blooms, Her transformed, cheerful place Then took on a mood of gloom.   She didn't put the vase away, Though emptied now and bare, Dumb, drab, old glass thing, It needed flowers there. Quick to the phone went Jenny, To call the flower shop, "A bride's bouquet - please bring it today," Her heart went flippity-flop.   Shortly the florist's truck pulled up, And Jenny opened her front door, Soon the place took on the look That it had held before.   Jenny took the flowers, And danced about the room, And so filled with joy Jenny was, She herself began to bloom. From then on, every week Jenny ordered flowers, And their arrival, fresh and sweet, Gave her many happy hours.   Each week the delivery man Noticed Jenny changing, too,  Now an element of beauty showed, That before she never knew.   He looked forward to his weekly trips, And often brought her extra blooms  Shyly, she accepted them, And asked him in her living room. "What a delightful place," he smiled, "So fitting for a girl like you." Demurely she replied, "A bride's bouquet made this all come true.   Next she told him the wonderful tale, Of the original bride's bouquet,  Then, by surprise, love caught them both, In that same beautiful, magical way!   Virginia (Ginny) Ellis Copyright July 2003