THE WISDOM OF THE ROSE
Once long ago and far away in the corner of a yard
Lived a lovely rose and an ugly slug, midst the weeds their life was hard.
On the shady ground the slug would crawl and curse the life he lead,
While toward the sun the rose would reach, with her glorious crimson head.
The slug looked up and to the rose these bitter words did say,
“The frost is coming soon you fool to take our lives away.”
And then he turned his ugly face and dragged himself along
And left a slimy streak of scum, for him, life was all wrong.
The rose in answer spoke her words, to the slimy slug below,
“You live amidst the filth you drag and your sights are set so low.”
“I fight my way up through the weeds and sing and dance each day;
I arm my stem with pointed barbs, to keep my foes away.”
“I glory in the rain that falls, I revel in the sun
I shower in the dew each day, my purpose is just one….
To glory in the life I’m given, to stand up straight and tall
To be the beauty that I am, bringing joy to one and all.”
The rose and slug can still be found, in gardens everywhere;
The slug still cursing every day, the rose a lesson fair.
Our choice is much the same you see, our days are full of strife,
We can damn our every day on earth, or glorify this life.
Greg Howard
