The Gift of the Rose
Susan Swain Tabor
By Susan Swain Tabor
That rose is free, he said to me
It’s been in its pot for an eternity
No one wants it – and neither do we.
Last chance or it goes into the trash!
I thought that that was rather rash
Seeing that it has potential to last.
Says the tag: Small and delicate is the bloom
A profusion of flowers by the month of June
Thorny but hardy, could blossom many a moon.
Rose, you silently called, I willingly came
We joined hearts in the relationship game
Together in life we lessened our pain.
I watered you, Rose, fed you all summer
Your beauty is such a delicious wonder
Our friendship endures, must not be plowed under.
You cheer me in moments when I am sad
To nourish your needs I am only too glad
Thank you for the closeness we have had.
Friend, it is no surprise to expect
When experiencing loneliness and neglect
We two can flower, showered by love and respect.
Susan Swain Tabor is the great-granddaughter of CCC’s first minister, Leonard Swain, and is currently writing his biography. She is first and foremost a mother and a grandmother. Careers have been counseling disabled persons, agency management in the rehabilitation field, and general management and sales in a calendar company. She currently is a manager of family owned commercial real estate. She received her BA in English literature from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1966 and a M.A. in Counseling from Rhode Island College in 1980. Hobbies include gardening, growing vegetables in her large garden for the Food Bank, reading, and writing.