Emerging the dirt an evergreen shrub
Surrounded by a sea of crimson roses,
Yearning for sunshine and arid wastelands
As the other receives tenderness and irrigation
Every graft produces another bud while
A rebuke withers a petal off the sage,
Until a basketful of potpourri lay in its stead
Servicing a coffee table in its afterlife
While next year’s bouquets line the
Bottoms of compost bins in the kitchen.