Rose Garden Poem by Shirley Harrison

Believe me, when I tell you

every new day is wasted on me

the sunlight can stay where it is

stay in, behind those black clouds

the clouds that hide the truth



the sun is dead

at least to me



it turns out, darkness

is my only friend now

protecting me from my loneliness

no need to see the sunrise

I don't want it to shine its warmth

upon my face numb

numb with loss



every day is dark

and it's the way I prefer to see it

after all love has died



I accept my fate

but still

I'd like to give my reader

my true and most sincere

apologies

because my words are harsh



where love goes to die

is a place I hope none of you

ever have to be

but, if you are…



don't forget to bury it deep

deep on the underside

of your very own rose garden.