paper skin.

three years ago, i wrote this for my grandma...


The sweet August breeze rolled through my hair as I sat on the curbside near the chapel. Sweat collected behind my ears and lazily dripped down the back of my neck. I glanced down at the package in my hands; they were perfect. Silky white petals. Long, smooth stems the cleanest shade of green.

"Daisies are good."

The sudden interruption in my train of thought startled me. I collected myself and slowly turned my head to see who had spoken the surprising yet welcome words. Off to my left, an elderly woman had positioned herself next to me and was peering up into my eyes with a warmth I had not encountered in anyone since my own mother. The paper-thin skin around her eyes crinkled inward and softly folded in upon itself. I could have lost myself in those eyes if the woman had not spoken once again.

"Those are beautiful. Are they for your girlfriend?"

I replied that they were and that I was on my way to see her just then. Daisies were her favorite and I was sure that she would appreciate them.

"Daisies are my favorite too. Roses are such an old-fashioned thing to give nowadays, don't you think?"

I agreed and turned my eyes back down toward the daisies in my lap. They were just as beautiful as they had been when I had first laid eyes on them earlier that day in the flower shop. The petals felt smooth against my skin as I gently swept my fingertips across them.

The breeze gained strength and I instinctively raised my eyes. The bus had rounded the corner and would soon reach the curb where the old woman and I languidly rested. I gathered my belongings and shifted my weight to my hands to help myself get up. My fingers brushed against those of the old woman and I felt that her skin was just as thin and delicate as it looked. Her eyes once again rested upon mine as she tightened her grip on my hand.

"I hope your girlfriend loves those daisies."

I thanked her and wished her a safe trip to wherever she was headed. The bus had reached us so I turned to step up into it as the doors swung open. Just before they closed in upon me, I heard the old woman speak one last time.

"Yeah... daisies are good..."

Her eyes left me then as she turned her head to follow the flight of a dandelion fluff that had been dancing between us. As the bus pulled away from the curb, I watched the old woman and those eyes that had captivated me for the short time we spoke. I knew that I would never forget her and that my girlfriend would love her daisies.