rooted in ash,
with wildfire
quietly burning
beneath soft petals
a rose set alight,
with leaves
that never begged
for rain
a quiet kind of burning
that never asked
to be put out
some passersby
picked the flower,
held her,
tried to care
some passersby
picked her
only to
give her away
but many walked
right over her
as if she were
just an empty flowerbed
as if she weren’t
a pretty flower
as if they didn’t see
the thorns
or know that petals bruise
when held too hard
as if softness
was made to be claimed
not protected
still,
she learned
how to bloom
she stood upright
in cracked earth
with broken stems
and blistered leaves
with fire
in her roots
with ashes
in her veins
reaching
always
for the light
she knew
some blooms open
only in harsh sun
some roots
push through broken ground
just to feel it
there were nights
she curled inward
like a rose
in frost
still,
she rose.
because some flowers still bloom
in places no one believed
anything could grow
and now
she is blooming
not despite the wildfire
but because of it
May 6, 2025
May 6, 2025 at 1:37 PM UTC
rooted in ash,
with wildfire
quietly burning
beneath soft petals
a rose set alight,
with leaves
that never begged
for rain
a quiet kind of burning
that never asked
to be put out
some passersby
picked the flower,
held her,
tried to care
some passersby
picked her
only to
give her away
but many walked
right over her
as if she were
just an empty flowerbed
as if she weren’t
a pretty flower
as if they didn’t see
the thorns
or know that petals bruise
when held too hard
as if softness
was made to be claimed
not protected
still,
she learned
how to bloom
she stood upright
in cracked earth
with broken stems
and blistered leaves
with fire
in her roots
with ashes
in her veins
reaching
always
for the light
she knew
some blooms open
only in harsh sun
some roots
push through broken ground
just to feel it
there were nights
she curled inward
like a rose
in frost
still,
she rose.
because some flowers still bloom
in places no one believed
anything could grow
and now
she is blooming
not despite the wildfire
but because of it