Poem: You Couldn't Take the Roses

When you left

I thought you took

everything-

my heart, the future,

my child's joy, my home

the family I loved...

Even my name

was ripped from me

and handed to another

(slightly worse for wear.)

But you couldn't take the roses,

or my coffee in the morning.

Your lies couldn't break

moonlight walks, or music.

The birds still sang.

My faith grew stronger,

my heart bolder,

and I learned to dance

without

your arms around me.

And in the end,

the love I thought was dead-

the love I thought you carried away with you

(like a hated clinging vine

fastened to your sweater)

grew green and lush

in another garden

and bloomed

in the starlight

when you were gone.

Copyright 2011, Lisa Morris Snell

This poem is now available for non-exclusive publication. Have a wonderful weekend!