Broken Rose

The rose is tainted.
Insects have chiseled away its perfection.
Poor weather, dry and far too hot
has curled its petals.

Look closely,
and this is what you see,
a thing distorted and never quite
what it should be.

The rose is pink.
Its color punctuates the summer green.
Its perfume transforms the air around it.
Each petal is like silk.

Look closely,
and this is what you see,
a thing less about perfection
than beauty.