Red Rose Poem by Sakhile Junior Mndzebele

Red rose!
You are so beautiful,
But all I can do is pity you.
You flaunt your beauty each day,
Oblivious to the fact that it leads to your demise.
People love your beauty so much,
They just have to kill you for it.
To them, it is enough that they unpluck you
Only to admire you for one day.
But they are missing the point,
See for me it is enough just to know you exist
Knowing that somewhere, your red succulent petals blossom,
That somewhere, your sweet nectar rides the air.
Oh! Beautiful rose,
Couldn't you have been dull?
Couldn't you trade your beauty for a longer life?
To me, you are like a beautiful wild bird,
I can love you, admire you but I can never capture you.