They always told you
you were a rose
delicate pink and blushing
in the morning sun
and yet you did not believe
all that you were told
you held a sliver of an idea
that once reached you
in a vague and distant dream
They dressed you as a rose
and told you to stand in
your sociable elegance
but as you ripen
you know you are peony
you require a cold winter
and a lonely sky
to grow into your fullness
Heavy headed peony
filled with dreams
far from the sophisticated rose
with her ruby buds
you are a tight unfurling
and outrageously
beautiful as you bloom
Choose your location wisely
peonies resent disturbance
and space them far apart for
good circulation
says the gardening manual
Ah, yes you are definitely a peony
Ripening in your aloneness
