Wilted

The dew evaporated this morning,
the colors darkened
The sheen dulling fast
from the withering flowers in my garden
Petals not boasting youth's perfection any more
 yet their fragrance deepens,
as if the understanding of overdue debts
and paying time's demands
layers scent notes with consolatory dimension

It is for them to take center stage now, the upstarts,
the impetuous darling buds of May,
waiting out one more sunset
before the dawn's blooming glory