HOW A ROSE CAN BRING ETERNAL LIFE <br /> <br />ELYSIAN <br /> <br />For who are brave of heart <br />And those that have always been true to their oaths, <br />Keeping their souls clean and pure, <br />Never letting their hearts be defiled by the taint <br />Of evil and injustice, <br />And barbaric veniality, <br /> <br />They are led by Zeus to the end: <br />To the palace of Kronos, <br />Where soothing breezes off the Ocean <br />Breathe over the Isle of the Blessed: <br />All around flowers are blazing with a <br />Dazzling light: <br />Some springing from the shining trees, <br />Others nourished by the water from the sea: <br />With circlets and garlands of Red Roses they <br />Crown their hands, <br /> <br />The Rose <br /> <br />Rose the symbol of beauty purity and passion <br />Made for Olympion Zeus by his grateful children <br />No crown of thorns for the King of the True Gods <br />Bacchus giving the nectar, Chlorus the crown of petals <br />Vertumnus the scent and finally the Radiant Aphrodite <br />Coloured the Red Rose with tears of Her Immortal Blood. <br /> <br />On the shedding of mortal coils <br /> <br />When I die <br />Cover me in red rose petals <br />For the boatman will not take the Scent of Dionysius <br />Nor were Chloris’ petals meant for Dark Hades <br />And would the DREAD PERSEPHONE <br />Dare dance on Aphrodities tears <br />And Pluto himself would find Vertumnus scent to rare <br />To inhale in His land of dark despair <br /> <br />So off to Elysium I am bound <br />No burning Hell for me <br />For I have never abandoned the true Gods <br />For a mortal who died on Calvary<br /><br />JAMES ROBERTS<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/how-arose-can-bring-eternal-life/
