Rose

 


The Rose

Original artwork and light-hearted poem by Kieran Gonsalves (c) 2025

Édith Piaf broke your heart with ‘La Vie en rose’
Rather than compete, I’ll try... umm, ‘autre chose’
The rose has captivated humans since the dawn of age
Iconic Marie Antoinette with a Rose became  quite the rage
The Tudor Rose blossomed at the end of the 100 Years' War
Joining Lancaster's Red with York's White forevermore
In Ireland, Little Black Rose was Róisín Dubh of rebellion
In the Wild West, it was a sultry woman on a black stallion 
‘Ring a Ring o' Roses’ ain’t about the Black Plague at all
'Tis but a rhyme about kids holding hands before they fall
For Gertrude Stein, a rose is a rose - that’s her deal
Now you are ‘sub rosa’, therefore, your lips are sealed

Cross-references

  • Click here to listen to the live performance by Edith Piaf - her voice is raw, passionate, and deeply emotive, not just with technical skill but with the vulnerability of someone who had lived through love, loss, and hardship. Released in post-World War II France (1945), the song offered a hopeful, dreamy escape during a time of national recovery and emotional fatigue.
  • Click here for a write-up on the artist who painted Marie Antoinette with a rose.
  • Click here to read about significant historical facts about the War of the Roses
  • Click here to understand the Irish sentiments on Little Black Rose aka Róisín Dubh
  • Click here to read about the myth behind 'Ring a ring a roses'
  • Click here to read an analysis of Gertrude Stein's poem

Comments

Anonymous said…
Stunning!💗
One day, I aspire to have at least 2 hrs a day to myself & my little paper squares & art supplies….. (WhatsApp comment from a very artistic friend who does poetic postcard-style water sketches)
July 3, 2025 at 8:16 AM
Kieran said…
It’s called retirement. You get to do what you love to do, when you like to do with the people you chose. 😇 - Kieran
July 3, 2025 at 8:16 AM
Anonymous said…
Umm, got me thinking about roses... the holy ones
Rose of Sharon
Rose of St Rita
Yellow roses at Mary's feet (st bernadette)
St Therese little flower (WhatsApp comment from a relative who knows I have a deep faith)
July 3, 2025 at 8:17 AM
Kieran said…
True. Also the white rose of Our Lady, which traditionally symbolizes virginity, purity, innocence, especially in her title as the Immaculate Conception. - Kieran
July 3, 2025 at 8:20 AM
Anonymous said…
Oh, that's beautiful!!! Also the song by Nana Mouskouri, "When the White Rose Blooms Again"... visit https://youtu.be/mRpMCG5Wjck?feature=shared (WhatsApp comment from an artistic friend)
July 3, 2025 at 8:25 AM
Kieran said…
Thanks, Ajay. I learned something new today. That’s the beauty of this exercise, I learn as much as I share. - Kieran
July 3, 2025 at 8:25 AM
Anonymous said…
How do you come up with / research all these old / historical events / anecdotes ? Google search ? Aided now by AI ? (WhatsApp question fom a my classmate)
July 4, 2025 at 5:49 AM
Kieran said…
A lot is knowledge accumulated from my childhood- we always had books and magazines growing up. National Geographic, Time, Newsweek, Illustrated Weekly, Reader's Digest, Junior Statesman etc. Later I tuned into BBC and Voice of America when working in Bombay.
But to your point, I quote well-known sources using ChatGPT - Kieran
July 4, 2025 at 5:50 AM
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