STORY OF A ROSE

It was a warm, bright summer�s day.
The sky was clear; no clouds were gray.
Sunlight stretched over the hillside meadows,
But one dark spot remained drenched in the shadows.

There in the shadows was one lonely girl,
Who isolated herself from all the world.
She preferred to be alone and hid her feelings,
Her face in despair, her thoughts concealing.
She spent her days near an empty patch,
Trying to grow roses, but none stayed intact.
She sat at that spot, hour after hour,
Trying to create a plant, hoping to grow a flower.

Then one day an angel appeared,
And said to the girl, �Do not fear.
I am your guardian angel from above.
I�ve come to help you, and show you love.
Your roses are not growing; have you wondered why?
You spend your days drenched in shadows, away from the sky.
No sunlight has come to where you dwell.
You�ve hidden yourself from the world, all too well.�

He handed her a rose and started to say,
�Here is a flower; it will show you the way.
Make yourself shown, and you will see
That a touch of sunlight will set you free.
Each time you meet a new person, it will show
That you are present in the world, and a rose will grow.
In time you will realize that you cannot get by
Without friends to support you, and adventures to try.�

So the girl took his advice and went into town,
Talking to others with a smile, no longer a frown.
She showed herself to the world and made new friends,
Realizing her potential, and working hard �til the end.

Each day she returns with a smile on her face,
Happy to know that she�s found her place.
A huge patch of roses are now in sight,
As they blossom and bloom in the warm sunlight.
Some wither away, but there is one single rose
That blossomed there forever, helping the others grow.

- Rosanne Leung