Inside A Rosebud's Life

By Divya Jain

i.

'Twas dawn, when she first came to know everyone around her. She believed whatever they told her, all the lies they fed her. When she was born as a bud.

ii.

'Twas morning, when she started to learn on her own and broadened her horizons. When she started to understand and play her cards better. When she started to unfurl a little.

iii.

'Twas midday, when she started taking the world for what it was, not what they showed her. When she started to cry and fight for herself. When she realized she was not who they told her she was. When she had nearly unleashed her full beauty but oh, had her thorns already grown.

iv.

'Twas evening, when she won the war. Or so she thought, when in fact she had surrendered to their will and commands. Later, when she tried to be who she was but still felt curbed by their will when in reality they had freed her long ago. When her beauty reached its peak, but so did her thorns.

v.

'Twas twilight, when she broke free, but she was too late and she had lost her chance. She had nothing but guilt and regret that had her in a constant trance of anguish and disappointment, and sorrow of losing them When her petals started to fall but her thorns still remained.

vi.

'Twas night, when she let go of the world around her. She could not live with herself as she too, had fed the same lies to the little ones, fought the same wars, and freed the prisoners similarly. She let her emotions take charge of her one last time. as she felt sleep take over her eternally. When she had fallen entirely with her petals and shriveled up. But oh, did her thorns still prick those who tried to banish her soul's remnants.

By Divya Jain