Your memory
is as sweet
as a red, red rose,
and its thorns
are even gentle
against my hand.
Soft kisses of rain
fall upon each petal
as I walk away,
holding your memory
within my hands.
Kicking aside the wet earth,
I look for the spot
to place this flower
for all the world to see,
for your memory
to be forever
remembered
as the life
that you brought with you
into this world,
this place
touched sadly
by so much tragedy.
No jagged words
will cut this rose.
No blind footsteps
will lead those
to step over it.
This rose
stands tall
here
and now
no longer in my hands
but
in the earth
that we walk each day,
trying to find meaning
for our own lives
and looking toward the heroes
to keep guiding us.
You were my hero,
and this is your flower.
Your memory stays with
me,
and it'll stay with this world.

Memory in Rose
by, Melissa R. Mendelson