> Petal by petal
> Pale in the
> Pre-dawn light
> She unfolds
> Perfuming the air
> With the slight scent
> Of trust.
> Her heart
> Takes patience to reach
> Friendship
> Is not taken lightly
> At the first sign
> Of disinterest
> She shuts.
> As petals open
> The dust of emotions
> Long untouched
> Powders the ground
> And she sneezes,
> withdraws
> From the presence of pain.
> As she reopens
> Her wounds
> Begin to heal
> Under a forgiving eye
> And each petal
> Opens more easily
> Than the last
> Until
> With the sunrise
> The last golden-pink petal
> Folds back.
> What is found there
> Is not what is expected
> There is much darkness
> To be removed
> Sifted through
> Burning the outer petals
> It happens to touch
> But once gone
> She shines.
> The flower is not perfect
> A few parts are dying
> and shetrembles
> Threatening to close
> At the slightest provocation
> But after long wait
> She is open
> And in the purple blush
> Of early morning
> That is beauty enough.
>
>
> Feel free to comment, critique, accept into the Poetry Pool, whatever =)
>
> unipeg

You have need of critique?! Don't think it requires it. Structure, sense, and mood are proficient and pleasing. Definite thumbs up for this one. :-)

It evokes a specific flower image for me... the beautiful Hybrid Tea rose known as "Sunset Celebration". And I do have a question, because I'm curious. Is the part that goes,

> As petals open
> The dust of emotions
> Long untouched
> Powders the ground
> And she sneezes,
> withdraws
> From the presence of pain.

Is this part describing the precious pollen at the center of the flower... or, maybe the waxy protective "dust" that covers the glossy green sepals (outer petals) of a bud? Oh, and how, or why does the flower "sneeze"?

Anyway unipeg, hope you have a title for this lovely lyrical piece. As Thee Zachary says, "a poem without a title is like a hug without the squeeze." :-)

Wolfspirit