A Red Rose
----a tribute to a girl with a terminal disease



1)         There, lo! a red red rose,                       
                            The pretty bride of king,                       
                            The fairy queen of spring,                       
                            Alone in a valley grows.                       

2)         Her scent pervades the air
                            Her beauties each seer spell;
                            Yet lives she alone in dell,
                            With none but rocks to care.

3)         With none, alas! to admire               
                            Her beauties and sweet scent;               
                            Only Mr. Storm there went               
                            To whip her in his ire.                       

4)         Would that I were a tree,
                            To spread o'er her my shade!
                            The leaves would never fade,
                            Oh, let Storm beat on me!

5)         Would that the soil I were!               
                            Her roots were then in me,               
                            On my life-blood lives she,               
                            Oh, I'll give all for her.                       

6)         A worm at pistils now
                            Is blighting her.  That devil!
                            But she, before all evil,
                            Her head does never bow.

7)         Soon she will fade away,
                            Fore'er from face of Earth,
                            And take from vale all mirth,
                            The rocks feel not so gay.
                            Oh, the lovely rose will fade away,
                            Then the rocks and dale be never gay!