SIDERIUS SHORT POETRY
COMPETITION, 2024
The wife, her children closely gathered round;
The lover, with a rose bud – only one -
To place upon his grave when all was done.
Each loss was shattering, but not the same.
The wife still had his children, house, and name;
The lover had lost all. Her face, drawn, thin,
Spoke of the anguish raging deep within.
The wife reached out and touched the lover’s sleeve,
‘Please be at peace; I know you also grieve.
Come, lay your rose bud here, right next to mine,
And let us share his love this final time.’