ROSEBUSH

By Jeff MacDonald

/\wakening to the dead still of the night, she linds herself drowning in the in-esistiblc llooding in of the night's black cover. broken only by the constant wi11king from the heavenly bodies nbove. Meanwhile. u crescent sh.iped light, shining on one side of the vast heaven. is slowly creeping along towards a dismnt hori:wn. Alone she stnnus, listening to the nigh1-wulkers scurrying along in their own little world. wishing one will stop by and include her. Not for from her, comes the perpetual babbling of a swift brook. From that sume area a C<iol spray of wind sweep over her petals sending prickles running along her stem. Upon impact of the mist, a sweet aromu is casunlly expelled from the petals along her fncc. Ht:r aroma is undeniably the most .illuring scent in the universe. The dumpnes~ then soaks in to begin the strengthening of her oven.ill health and stores any cxtru within her roots for future precautions against any draught.

Then suddenly from the dark, a badger approaches and heuds straight for her opening exposed position. His only intention is to steal her beauty and waste il on n temporary benelit. Surprisingly, when he reaches for her, he is driven back by the annoyance of constant piercings he receives from the thorns along her stem. After the attack, the once peaceful tranquility of the night is nut so secure ns she once thought.

Now frighreneu by the recent attack, she looks for the security of something strong that will warm her inside. Searching all around, she discovers the upper atmosphere is lighting up and the crescent light is dipping beyond the horizon only to be replaced on the other side by n bright light. At first, this illumin,lting sphere appears to be a promising friend. Throughout her observation, she realized that it opened her eyes to her surrnunding environment. Scaring off nny night crawlers thnt posed a threat to her unmentionable beauty. Then it went on and enhanced her own breathtaking beauty by tenfold as its light beams delicntel y and foils to rest 011 her petals. Within seconds of contact. she blossomed out towards the light to soak in as much as she could. The light slowly flourished throughout her body creating n new secure mutual love.