Contemplating Snapdragons

That afternoon we were talking.
She, swollen bellied, so tired of waiting,
and I were pinching open the blossoms
of pink snapdragons.
To see their little teeth,
she said.

Passing through the room,
he reprimanded her softly,
practicing for Rachel Lee.
"Don't do that, Mary Beth,
If you play with them
they won't last as long."

And six hours later
you were born.

What if he'd bought
blue snapdragons?
or no snapdragons?

One just can't ignore
such things, you know--
Why that flower?
Why that night?
Why Rachel and not
Ezra Zedekiah?