A Woman Named Rose Poem by RIC BASTASA

many believe in her
her courage and durability
she is like a strong wood
and she has become an instrument
for hitting those who are weak and
faithless and hopeless and
brokenhearted

i like her truly
her threshold for tolerance
i consider as beyond mine
she knows how to keep pain and not show it
she, is, i think, stronger than steel
even platinum
her flexibility is duly noted
in fact, she is also elastic as rubber
and too fluid as
liquid occupying every empty
space
finding her own level
or i can always compare her
to air
occupying almost everything

she is also a mystery
Rose, such a beauty,
exuding the scent of a lovely day
on a chain of rosy colors
Red Rose

until one day,
when everything glorious about her was said
all plaques of appreciation given
all trophies of her victories for such virtues shown
all medals for her valor handed

until one day
(and this i cannot explain
till now)

until one day
while on a cruise ship at the Atlantic
she jumped into the raging ocean confronting the storm

and then she was forever
gone.