A Dozen Iron Roses
Sometimes in life you r gifted a 12 bright red roses
And when they r presented they r often a celebration of
Love Joy Trust Peace Happiness Future
But then one by one something happens that causes them to wither
The 1st couple may be the weakest and the easiest to think you can let go of
A joke that you didnt think they would make
A comment that just borders that line that you asked them not to cross
The next couple wither rapidly
Shaming you for getting excited about something deemed childish
Begging you to only spend time with them cause your friends just don’t like me
The rest dont truly wither
The rest of those 12 bright red roses are crushed one by one in front of you
Of course the whole while the very person who gifted these roses
Is saying to you
Why are you abandoning me because you had plans with friends
Im sorry Im so terrible to be around When you say you need some time alone
That was really disrespectful When you stand up for yourself after being dismissed like a child
This is your fault They scream at you and slam their hand on the steering wheel
And you hold onto that last rose because it is a reminder that there was something good
There was love joy trust peace happiness and a future
So you fight and hold that last bright red rose because this was good once
There were a 12 bright red roses and now where are they
You hold that last rose thorns and all until suddenly you realize
Every single part of you has withered and so has that final rose
So you let it go
And instead of sadness you are relieved and at peace
But you miss the roses you miss the happiness
So instead of searching for someone to gift you a 12 bright red roses
You start to form your own
Petal by petal stem by stem
And instead of the fragile roses that r given by others
These are forged through everything that youve experienced and learned
How to stand for yourself
How to see your own inherent worth
How to heal
And through all of it
There r roses given to you by others
That over time those wither & fade
But these that have been forged within
Cannot be crushed & will not wither
These are the ones that you hold tight to now
These 12 Iron Roses
That have been heated and formed and will not break now
Theyre repaired and cared for by you and by those who r allowed to help tend them
But never again will someone come and pick off petal by petal
Because if they try
The will find that a 12 iron roses
Have 12s of iron thorns
And these thorns and roses
R well tended to
And will not wither
Copyright © Deborah Samuelson | Year Posted 2023
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