Two Dozen Roses Poem by Frank V. Gardner

How many hours in a day?
They number twenty four.
How many hours can one give love?
Well, lovers don't keep score.

A clock that tells the time of day
Can't measure gifts of love,
Not those expected here on earth,
Nor sent us from above.

The clock ticks on incessantly
When lovers are apart;
And time drags on relentlessly
With every beat of heart.

Yet, hearts beat so expectantly
When lovers plan to meet;
While clocks and watches stand aside,
With time in full retreat.

Two dozen roses sent to you
Another gift in store,
When all these miles between us end,...
Those roses, twenty four.

I give you, darling, now, a gift,
With time and love to match,
So you may blend your heartbeat
With a lovely pendant watch.

How many years have you and I
Shared time, and love, and more?
And stuck it out through thick and thin? ...
They number twenty four.