Don't look
Too often we compare people to flowers
"you're as pretty as a tulip"
"you're as sweet as a rose"
We focus on the beauty of the flower on top
And ignore the roots beneath
We ignore the stem that slowly grew,
Striving against the odds
We ignore the sun dappled leaves,
Grown for necessity,
Kept for safety and structure
We ignore the brown of the petals
The worms slowly eating away
And we feed our fear
Of becoming the fertiliser we grew from
Instead of looking at the
worn out tears
Dirty browns
And falling petals
As badges of honour
For the fears we have passed
We keep our eyes on the pretty
We ignore the past




















