she loves me

you buy a dozen
flowers
for your sweetheart
lulu.
black eyed susans.
but on the way over
to her house
you begin to pick off
each petal, saying,
she loves me, she loves
me not, she loves
me she loves me
not, by the time you
get to her house
you are down to stems
holding a dark
puffy ball at the top,
which makes her laugh
and say, well,
which was it?