BEYOND THE ROSES

Often, when we look at a thing of beauty and perfection, there is a part of it that we miss. We do not realise the amount of pain, hard work, patience and perseverance that has gone into its making. We do not look beyond the roses. 

BEYOND THE ROSES
Behold this crimson red rose in thy hands,
But look not only at the flower,
Look beyond it- to its other parts
For they tell an entirely different story.

Dost thou see the deep red colour of the flower?
Prick thine finger with the thorn;
Thous shalt see the red of thine blood,
It is the same red as that of the petals;
People have bled to give the flower its colour,
Feel a fraction of the pain that has gone into its making.

Feel the texture of the flower's petals;
Someone's hands, once just as soft,
Have gone through a lot of labour, 
Working hours at length;
Tol lose the texture of their hands,
So that it may be given to the flower.

Look into the heart of the flower-
Thou shalt see dew drops on its bud;
Drops formed from the water,
The water of a person's sweat and tears,
Purified by his heart's beauty;
To keep the flower fresh and beautiful.

Bring the flower up to thy nose and smell it,
Doth it not appeal to and please your senses?
A person has travelled miles the world round,
To rob all the flowers of their sweet smells
And put them together in a unique manner;
That the rose may be heralded the 'king of flowers'.

-Bhoomika Agarwal