Cherokee Rose

many days we walked an unforgiving sun beating down upon us and at night even the cold moon seemed to curse us... Seeing what no eye should see our tears mingled with dust and angry winds spoke of the death of our people our children, our old succumbing to grief... Our hearts cried out Great Spirit, give strength give courage to your people let not this trail of tears be the end of our great nation let this not, be our defeat... The Great Spirit heard the anguish of his people and said I will send them as a sign an indestructible flower which has both strength and beauty a symbol of my love for them... As dawn awoke we turned our faces east longing to see our ancestral home to savour the richness of our heritage as it was before the fathers of greed stole it... But what we saw was amazing the trail we'd watered with tears was alive and growing... A white flower as pure as fresh snow within its center gleaming gold a lovely flower surrounded by seven green leaves and armed with sharp thorns the Cherokee rose...