Like A Validated Rose Poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

I feel emboldened when I'm touched.
Like a validated rose.
And even though my thorns may prick,
Always there comes along someone...
Attracted to my scent.

More radiant I feel I should show myself.
But I do my best not to overdo it.

I want to be sniffed in the air to be whiffed,
Not picked and clipped to be placed in a vase...
Until my essence just fades away.
I don't want it to be known,
I am not without limitations.