As I wandered amidst the Creator’s

Garden a moment ago

I came upon a Rose whose beauty

captivate my soul

The moment my eyes caught sight of its

beauty

my sense of ownership and attachment

burst forth

My humanity reach out and wanted to lay

hands on

**** 

With purpose and forethought colored by

desire

I reached out to grasp the object of my

yearning

No thought of anyone or anything but self

permeated the moment 

I bent forward with great anticipation

moving slowly to capture my prize

 as I reached out, ouch, a thorn.

A thorn where did that come from

How could something so beautiful cause

such pain?

**** 

What was the purpose of the thorn I ask

myself?

Aren’t we suppose to pick rose and be on

our merry way

Were we not told on several occasions to

stop, Hmm STOP and

smell the Roses? 

Was that it? Did I miss something?

Was it intended for me to indeed STOP

STOP and admire its beauty

and smell its intoxicating aroma and

move along?

Is the thorn there for a reason?

Was it, is it there to protect the Rose

or could it be there to protect me from my

own selfish nature

it did after all stopped me dead in my

tracks as attempt to own that

which cannot be owned by me or any other

Could it be that my zeal to own to satisfy

my selfish desire I forgot

the pleasure I received just by seeing its

beauty A joy that could be shared by

another who along this way would pass

*******

This rose left undisturbed by my hand

left where the creator intended it to be

would bring another, maybe many more

the same joy it brought me just by its

very presence

Had the thorn not stopped me the very thing

that brought me joy

my selfishness would have destroyed

the ROSE by any other name is still a

ROSE

made by the Creator’s love to give love

and provide joy and respite 

STOP and smell the ROSES

enjoy its beauty

take the memory of it with you and the

joy it will give to yet another

who knows at some later time this way

you may again pass

A ROSE IS STILL A ROSE