Notes About The Poem
11 July 2026
for the Rhythm and Rubble Poetry Contest - using both Assonance/Consonance and Alliteration
Sponsored by: Kerry Bernatchez
Listen to poem:
A Single White Rose
A thought bubble arose, from an unslept head.
“I'll give you a single white rose, I’ve grown.”
It sounded sweet, simple, and wonderfully romantic—
Before I proposed the notion, to my rubble-despoiled garden.
Thus began my toil and trouble, kerfuffle and struggle.
I pulled out weeds, dug through mud, mulch, muck and mysteries.
The wheelbarrow wobbled; wandered off with the watering can.
Even the worms wiggled worried, wrinkled looks about my methods.
In the hole, I planted a single white-budded rose, bare-rooted.
I covered it with soil, sweetly sour with well-rotted cow manure.
The rose grew despite my heavy-handed, brown-thumb pokes and prods.
White buds burst, then browned off, blighted around their rims.
Tiny thrips and aphids threw tantrum bombs inside petal towers.
I peered, puffed, and huffed, and quite frankly— panicked!
Perfection proved particularly picky, for a plain white rose.
At last, one lovely morn, a lovely white rose, arose to greet me.
Among the blighted, shriveled blooms, it beamed like moonlight.
I clipped it carefully, cradling its cool, cream precious bloom.
Surely, such devotion, deserved delighted, dazzling applause!
I presented it proudly, practicing my grandest ever garden bow.
“To give to thee, this single white rose I’ve grown.”
She smiled softly, accepting my precious treasure trove rose.
Then she paused, as though, searching for, still kinder words.
“What a lovely thought,” she said, looking blissful at me.
“Sorry, but I really wanted a bunch of red ones instead!”
Behind us, the white rose quivered, quaked and chuckled!
As my thought bubble burst above the compost. - Pop! Bang! Purr!.
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