I don’t love you like a red red rose.
I love you like a cactus
with caution…
and rarely will you see a flower.
But when it blooms it’s quite sensational,
if one can traverse the desert,
the stinging sands,
the freezing nights,
the dreadful thirsts,
for one fruit every ten years.
And then you’re surrounded by thorns and snakes.
The sun mocks me with a false mirage.
But in my trudge through the dunes
I’ve fallen in love with the stars.
I follow them to the forests
where fresh leaves and bluebells fill my soul
and the soft light of love beckons me to move.
I hope the cord between us
pulls you closer the further I go.
But I won’t go to the desert to find you anymore
and I will think of you each day and night
and long for you to meet me here.
Laura Berry (Napowrimo Day 25 – 2023)
Journey of a Bard 