A rose for The Rose For being so prominent in poetry and prose For no other flower has adorned with so much zest Lover’s tresses or a Martyr’s wreath For a single flower to epitomize love and hate Cherished From classic to modern, blessed by choice and fate For all the romance and all the tragedies it has seen In the tears of pathos and in the pearls of glee For the petals and thorns and the richness of their harmony To be in ease with its beauty calling for awe and envy For the delicate vulnerability of petals and strong character of thorn To be everywhere and yet so exclusive, has there ever been a human such born?