Roses
Imagine if a you gifted things with absolute purpose
And absolute honesty.
Imagine if you said
"Here are these red roses
They don't signify my love for you
They mean that I've been burned in
Your hearth.
Your flames
Have lapped at my toes
And I dived into them
Wholeheartedly,
Lovingly.
I rose from the ashes
Dusting soot off my arms,
New and sweet and hooked
To you
I was born from your flame
A phoenix
And I will follow you to the ends of
The world
Spitting your fire."
Imagine your yellow roses meaning
"I crawled out from a pit of
Ink and mud and dirt
Dark and bitter and cursed
Until
You touched me.
Your fingerprints
Lit me up
Like an effervescent lantern
And oh, God
How good
That electricity felt
Under my skin.
Oh how
I started to throw light
Instead of shadows.
You made me your sun
So that you could hang me in
Your own
Darkness.
And it is the only place I want to be."
"And these white roses aren't purity anymore."
You will say
"They are the sheets
Of our love
They are
Your hands pushing into my skin
And they are
The bright and burning headlights
From you finding me
Lost
On the side of
That dusty, dark
Road.
They are the
The blanket
You wrapped me into
And didn't let me leave
Until I was better,
Until I was ready
Until I felt the world again."
"I know you like orange.... "
You should say.
"But I love it more than
You could ever realize.
These
Flowers
Are so much more
Than
My desire.
They are
Your
Candles
Jasmine and citrus
Burning
In my mind.
They are
The meteor shower
In my blood
Every time
Your eyes hit mine.
They are the colour
That comes to mind
When I think of you
And your sweet
Apricot
Love"
Next time you give flowers, tell them why.
