Rose was young
she was beautiful
she was lovely
lovely but unloved

she was a girl without a father
whose mother didn't care
she was a girl who needed attention
she was a child who needed love

she saw him
he was handsome
he looked like he was strong
he was older
he looked wiser
she thought that he would hold her
and love her
make her whole
he saw her
he wanted her
she was perfect and unmarred
she was pretty
she was starving for want of love
he saw her weakness
and took advantage of her needs
he seduced her
he pursued her
he convinced her to give in

she thought she loved him
she thought he loved her back
she thought he cared for her
and she thought he was the one

with those thoughts she let him push her
to lengths and ends she didn't want
he took her joy away

then one night
as she was drifting off to sleep
she murmured that she loved him
and silence answered back

she knew then
that he didn't care for her
to him
she was no one
just someone he could use

'don't you love me?
don't you care for me?
isn't love what this is about ?'
she cried as he hurt her
he abused her
left her torn

she thought she loved him
she thought he loved her back
she thought he cared for her
and she thought he was the one

he broke her heart
he broke her spirit
and he left her bleeding there:
a wounded work of art






as the years flew
and as Rose grew
the secret silence she had kept
came to haunt her
came to hurt her
came to scare her dreams away

her daughter Lily
sleeps in the room just down the hall
she's only four years old
but she hears her
hears her mother scream at night
and she knows
that her mother is afraid
but she stays strong
Lily holds her mother's hand
and she keeps Momma looking up

One day Rose met him again
straight from the good days of her past
they'd gone through school together
and he'd lived next door to her
she knew him
knew his family
she had called mother 'Mom'
she had claimed his brothers her own
and they had been the best of friends

when he introduced himself
she smiled
for the first time
in what had seemed to be forever
she had missed him
more than she knew
it was good to have him back

he alone had borne her secret
he alone knew all her lies
now they both knew her present
as they both had known her past
but God alone knew what would come
He alone knew they would last

And when Lily
was six years old
there was a beautiful party
for her and her closest friends
and when the last child left their house
he fell to his knees
and he asked her
'will you marry me?'

he knew he loved her
he hoped she loved him back
he knew he cared for her
he knew she was the one

she looked at him
sorrow in her eyes as she said
'you know I can't.
I can't love you like you deserve!
I'm untrusting
I'm imperfect
I am ugly
scarred
and flawed!'





but he caught her eyes
and held them with his own
he asked her
'won't you be my Venus de Milo?
won't you be my Juliet?
won't you be my Mona Lisa?
it's a choice you won't regret!'

he begged her
'won't you let me be your sculptor
won't you let me shape your life?
won't you let me love you?
and won't you please be my wife?'

'but you know my past''
she started
but he stopped her with a kiss.

he said
'yes I know your past
so I know that you need to be loved.
I know you need a shoulder
that you can cry on when you hurt.
and finally I know this
and I know this most of all
I've loved you from the beginning
you are my all in all!

so won't you be my Venus de Milo?
won't you be my Juliet?
won't you be my Mona Lisa?
it's a choice you won't regret!

you say your flawed
perhaps it is true
but I don't care at all!
for you are my all in all

You are my Venus de Milo,
You are my Juliet,
You are my Mona Lisa,
You're my priceless work of art!'