A Red Heart Rises

over a suburban garden.

She lays a landscape A4 sheet in front of me.
For you, Daddy. Kisses my cheek and bounces away
on her next adventure.

A slim, rusty brown tree trunk
branches into dense greenery.
To the morning shadow side
three shoulder-high flowers rise.
Red petals, then black, then gray
surround the three yellow faces
on green stalks.

All this features behind
an avocado skin lawn trimmed
by a man, lawnmower and
giggling passenger boy.

The reason for the red shape
rising high into the air
surely lies in the girl
in pink and khaki
dancing to the sun side of the tree.
As tall as the flowers and
smiling as widely
as the vastness of her heart.