Roses and Thorns

I am a rose.

I am beautiful and bright.

I can make you smile just when you look at me.

Even breathing the air around me makes you pause for one more moment.

I am a rose.

I am the thorns.

In a spurt of anger I can hurt you.

If you hold me too tightly,

Get too close too quickly,

I will make you bleed without meaning to.

You will focus on my beauty but I can't let you in.

So I hurt you.

You will have to worry too much about being careful with me.

So you will leave me.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry!

I tried not to!

But, as I've grown, my thorns have multiplied.

They are my bitterness from the cold, icy winters I have seen.

The people that have cut away at me,

Taking only the beauty I gave so freely.

But they left the thorns.

I'm now bitter and push you away.

Then, only when you turn away will I realize...

I desperately need the love I so often deprive myself of.

I need someone to see my beauty and remind me that it's there.

My thorns stick to your clothes.

Don't go!

Don't leave me!

I'm sorry!

These sharp walls that have grown around my heart.

They beg to be breeched by a gentleness I've never known;

A love I don't fear.

Someone who sees my thorns.

Someone who goes through them to see me as a rose.

Not someone who denies my sharp edges,

Or sees them as an impregnable fortress of pain.

Someone who shows me I'm beautiful.

Me.

As a rose.

With thorns.

Someone who proves that they care for me as I am.

Because without my thorns, I would simply be another flower.

Someone who looks at me and says:

You are a rose.

You are beautiful and bright.

You can make me smile when I just look at you.

Even breathing the air around you makes me pause for one more moment.

You are a rose.

You are thorns.

In a spurt of anger, you could hurt me.

If I hold you too tightly

Get too close too quickly.

You might make me bleed without meaning to.

I focus on your beauty but you'll have trouble letting me in so you may hurt me.

I will have to worry about being careful with you.

And you'll be sorry.

But I'm not leaving...