From nature's bounties to nurture's harness
Life arcs in a spectrum of umpteen hues.
From luminescence to utter darkness -
Glows in rosy pinks; sulks in sultry blues.
Not nature, nor nurture, all on its own
Can bring forth singular blossoms hither
Aromatized, flourishing, full-blown
Or dwarfed, shrunk and ready to wither.
Each soul's destiny sculpted and shaped
By genes, upbringing, luck or circumstance
Even while each is coiffed and draped
By own choices or vagaries of chance.
And so...roses bloom in thorny bowers
And venom lurks in the hearts of flowers.
