H
e a r t S o n s & H e a r t D a u g h t e r s of A l l e n G i n s
b e r g
N
a p a l m H e a l t h S p a : R e p o r t 2 0 1 4 : A r c h i
v e s E d i t i o n
NANCY MERCADO
The Rose That Waits
Like my past
It lies inside a trunk
Inside an empty box
Of chocolates I tasted decades ago
It lies quietly bent and shapeless
Lost its color and life
In darkness it waits
For fresh air perhaps
For the touch of my hand
The feel of my lips
My past waits for me
To admire its beauty
To relive its history
To explore its withered remains
The dead rose of my life lies
Inside my bygone love affairs
In silence it waits to join with me
[Originally
published in NHS 2011, http://www.poetspath.com/napalm/nhs11/.]