Rose, harsh rose,
marred and with stint of petals,
meagre flower, thin,
sparse of leaf,
more precious
than a wet rose
single on a stem
you are caught in the drift.
Stunted, with small leaf,
you are flung on the sand,
you are lifted
in the crisp sand
that drives in the wind.
can the spice rose
drip such acrid fragrance
hardened in a leaf?

Writer: Michael Boughn was born in 1946 in Riverside, California. He lived there until he was nineteen years old, at which point he moved to Vancouver, B.C. because of his opposition to the U.S. war in Vietnam. The only advice he has for young writers is to read as much and as widely as possible, and to not be afraid to imitate the writers you love the most. Thats how you learn your craft. - Kit : Sweet Summer made by Linda Cumberland.