The Rose

He saw the rose
And all around the rose an aura glowed
Enveloping the rose, as if
It was the rose itself 
That glowed

And when the breezes blew
The rose, and aura, moved
As one – with grace and ease
And beauty, such as that he thought he’d never see

There was no love within his heart
That day, nor none he held apart,
Nor beauty much to be desired
To set his raging soul afire

Yet something there about the glow 
Which held him, lo – 
The splendid aura of the rose
Arrested all his thought
And made him doubt
All that he thought, and thought about – 

And then he started to,
As one who long ago had died 
Sudden springing back to life, alive!

For what he saw without reproof
Was nothing but the true unyielding truth –
‘Twas not the aura set apart
Enveloping the rose with outer glow,
But an inner flame within the rose
That burned – that burned! – 
Out of which both rose and aura glowed –
Copyright © | Year Posted 2023

Poem

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Wolf Avatar
April 1, 2023 at 8:16 PM
Absolute FAVE, John. Love, love, love where you went with this tale of a rose! Thanks, gw
Oldham Avatar
April 2, 2023 at 7:51 AM
Glad you liked it, Gershon! Thanks!
Turner Avatar
April 1, 2023 at 8:07 AM
That fire is inside all of us John. Great write my friend. Some have it hidden but it is there. Have a top shelf weekend.
Oldham Avatar
April 2, 2023 at 7:51 AM
Agreed! Thanks, Daniel!
Seeker Avatar
March 31, 2023 at 8:51 PM
Wow! The deep truth, as with the rose, so with us
Oldham Avatar
April 2, 2023 at 7:50 AM
A universal truth, for sure. Thanks!
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