Step 1. 

Pick out your seed

You will soon learn that flowers relate to the

Time and effort that you will eventually put into your relationship

Daisies are friendships

Carnations are dances

Roses are love, 

For your purpose, 

Choose the reddest rose you can find

If nothing catches your eye, 

Then pick the whitest one you can find, 

And dye it with your blood

They say that the end result is all that matters, 

so do not worry of the beginning 

Step 2. 

Do not  be disappointed when you do not receive flowers on your first date 

Remind yourself that

 this,

Is only part of the process

Give them the rose you brought anyways, 

And pray that they don’t see the blood that you dyed it with,

Dripping down the stem

You don’t think they will

They didn’t notice your tears

Step 3. 

Do not give up

There are enough petals on roses to 

Play the love me not game, 

enough petals that you could have miscounted,

Enough chances and roads yet traveled that you are sure, 

That the next flower you buy will have the perfect number, 

And so the next day,

Go to the hospital and donate enough blood

To dye 10,000 of them 

Collect them and leave them at your partners door

Smile, 

And tell yourself that you are only drained because love takes work

And if you weren’t tired, 

Then there wouldn’t be a relationship

The next day, 

When you find a daisy on your doorstep, 

Smile

And tell yourself that you are only discouraged,

Because love takes sacrifice

And if you didn’t feel hopeless, 

Then there wouldn’t be a relationship 

Step 4. 

Go back to the flower shop 

Walk through the rain, 

And the snow, 

And the hail, 

Just because that maybe, 

If you leave 

1 million roses, 

They will give you a carnation next time 

Walk until your fingers are numb, 

And your hair is soaked

And your face is so wet, 

Convince yourself that it is only the rain

When your feet start to bleed, 

Remind yourself that you can use it 

To dye the roses that you are sure to buy

To distract yourself, 

Dream of the two of you becoming one,

Dream of giving them your everything, 

And reminding yourself that true love,

Is not expecting anything in return

Stand under the shop entrance, 

And stare at the closed sign 

And convince yourself that the only reason 

Your face is wet

Is because of the rain 

Step 5. 

Go on another date

Ignore their scowl 

When they don’t receive a flower

Wear the bandages across your fingers, 

As a reminder, 

And a promise, 

Tell them that the flower shop was closed, 

But don’t tell them that you stood outside it

For long enough that your face dried

Allow yourself to feel the hurt when they don’t give you a flower

Allow yourself to feel, 

And then remind yourself, 

That you have a garden planted at home, 

And what good would a flower be, 

If it was already dead

Step 6. 

Begin to relinquish the idea, 

That all relationships will begin with a red rose,

Or even a rose, 

Allow yourself to believe, 

That the daisies, 

And carnations, 

Are just as important as the ending, 

Step 7. 

Give them one last flower

swallow through their scoff

Remind yourself, 

That flowers mean things 

Remind yourself,

That goodbyes mean things

Step 8. 

Go home. 

Plant your garden

Go to the flower shop, 

And when you flinch at the sight of it, 

Remind yourself, 

That it’s okay to want something that might hurt

That it’s okay to want

An already picked flower 

But for today, 

Buy some seedlings

For yourself