Life may be beautiful,
but it has never been fair.
Some are born in greener fields,
while others break through cracks in the earth,
unseen, unwanted, fighting just to exist.
When you admire the roses in the garden,
think of the cactus
standing alone, rough and uninviting,
weathering storms without shelter,
enduring the burn of the sun.
Roses are chosen,
not just for their beauty,
but for how they hide their thorns
beneath soft petals,
deceiving hands into believing
they are gentle,
harmless,
worthy of love.
But the cactus?
It wears its truth on the outside,
its scars, its struggles, its defenses
never hides it's thorns
raw, untamed, unapologetic.
And so, it is left behind,
misunderstood and avoided.
Yet, when the drought comes,
when the ground cracks and the rivers run dry,
the rose withers,
fragile and thirsty,
while the cactus
the one no one ever reached for
holds the water,
the very thing that could save a life.
So tell me,
who is truly strong?
Who is truly valuable?
And why do we only love
what pleases the eye,
instead of what
could truly keep us alive?
©umclite
U