Interview with a Rose

curved as a lip pouting for a kiss

sponge of sunlight,

my tiniest

filaments stand in ceremony

to your song of color

insects decide to walk the labyrinth

of your perfumed path

are you tickled by these

cellular inspectors

sipping your sweet wine of particulates

would you have preferred to be a robin

burdened with the sky’s

most unique song

do you wish you were the moon

a whole planet of petals

with an atmosphere of cologne

a dolphin bathing in the coral medicines

of an oceanic garden?

you itch

when you are closed

                          shy & anxious

unconcerned with weather

              death or dementia

you are the earth’s soldier of love,

                                    desire

yet––what do you know of it?