I have been handed a rose

By instinct, I touch the petals to my nose

And yes, the sweet smell pervades

But thorns steal the blood from my veins

Its features I try and admire,

What's the point when I know it will cause hellfire

Everything I touch seems to crumble to dust

No longer inviting, no longer can I trust

Every day a new petal falls

And I can hear the agony in its calls

But the irony is that it cannot be saved

Because everyone to its beauty is a slave

A warden protecting its tall green castle

No one can seize it, at least not with facile

At the top a deep red damsel awaits

But not even a prince could change her fate

The thorns have vanished, forever gone

Meanwhile, life still carries on

Laden with sorrow, the petals depart too

It’s thorns were only there to let the beauty shine through