Yesterday's Beauty

My clippers snipped on ruthlessly, As if they were on their own. I pondered on the short, sweet life This once lovely rose had known. Yesterday's blossom must give way For one waiting in the womb. She had held her head so proudly As she offered her comely bloom. While in the bud she had dreamed of how, Her beauty would startle the world. The bee and the butterfly were there As her sweet fullness unfurled. They were her only admirers As she flirted and primped and preened. Charlatans come to sip from her, Her moment of glory demeaned. Regretting the loveliness I had missed, I held her gently for a while, Then dropped her faded remains into The swelling refuse pile. So it can be with humans too, We're each given one shining hour In which to activate our dreams And show the world our power. That moment missed, our chance is gone, We are slipping the downward way, With no one to listen as we shout, "You should have seen me yesterday." Won 4th place