On a whim I bought a rose
When I got home I put it in an old drinking glass
with nothing but tap water

We are like that rose
Out of nowhere
Cultivated with scraps

The rose thrived off of the water
Flourishing and growing beyond expected

We are like that rose
Blossoming with nothing but bits and pieces fed to us

The rose began to run out of water and wilt
So I added more
And it regained some of its strength

We are like that rose
Adding to something that's no longer there
Grasping at moments of bliss

The rose started to die
So finally I fed it proper food

We are like that rose
Belatedly nourishing remains in hopes of recollecting what never was

But it was too late
And one day I came home to discover the rose
dead
petals scattered
limp and lifeless
beyond hope

We were like that rose