A Rose raised
in the protective shade
of a mighty Oak,
no matter how well
nourished and loved,
will never bloom.

Her delicate petals
must defy the beating drops
of an angry Sky
in order to bathe
in the golden rays
of her birthright.

Step aside
and let her thrive!

You lit me up
and took the first long drag
of my innocence.

I felt so alive!

I burned with orange
and red intensity
as you inhaled me
into the warm and
darkest depth of your chest.

As I swirled around
your beating heart,
I was one with you
in a vaporous peace.

Then the moment came
to evict me from your being.
The walls around your
pulsing heart suddenly
collapsed and expelled me
passed the puckered
wet lips that once
inspired my lust,
and I vanished
in the breeze.

All that remained of me
was a spent remnant of ashes
that you flicked into the wind
and extinguished me
forever.