Strolling down the secluded path,
grass crunching under her feet.
Solemn child of the deity,
she admires the magnificent display.
Supple pink and white petals
misted with morning dew,
leaves sway in the breeze
to shield its cherished blooms,
blossoming as night fades away.
She watches, waits in silence
for its secrets to be revealed.
Gracefully, it unfolds.
Alluring scents permeate the air,
basking in the radiant light of day.
With tender fingertips of love,
she traces the fragile petals.
Blissfully, she grips the stem.
Jagged thorns pierce her skin
desperate to guard their treasure.
Blood drops slowly fall
painting the petals crimson.
She breathes its heady scent,
tranquility invades her mind,
and she thanks the goddess
for the pleasure.
Rachelle Renken is thirty-two, a single mother of two boys and a full time
secretary. She lives in the Wyoming Valley of Pennsylvania. Her hobbies include reading, writing, and arts and crafts.