I am the rose The rose I am the rose The rose with no flowers I am the rose The rose all thorns The mind he made The hand he touched The winter rose I who was blind and did not know Who searched for sickness in the sane Who tried to placate not to heal Was taken sharply by his pain He who gave me vivid roses Grown inside his gentle mind In his torment he discloses Worlds I never wished to find I am the rose The rose I am the rose The rose with no flowers I am the rose The rose all thorns The mind he made The hand he touched The winter rose I gave him lies for all his truth And sent him to his spirit's death And gave him hope when all was lost And stole the flower that took my breath He who gave a gift of flowers Rests in quiet darkness now Silent are his special powers Blank his once-expressive brow I am the rose The rose I am the rose The rose with no flowers I am the rose The rose all thorns The mind he made The hand he touched The winter rose I was a coward in his cause His was the courage and the care He who was hopeless learned to trust I who could help him did not dare All I did was let him founder All-unknowing on the reef Gave him a lie to make it easy And stole his selfness like a thief I am the rose The rose I am the rose The rose with no flowers I am the rose The rose all thorns The mind he made The hand he touched The winter rose I am an ashen desert land I am a barren thorny stem And as a coward cast my lot With all the cowards known as "them" All the cowards call me hero All the heroes have been stilled Still their vengeance sings the silence Points to hungers left unfilled I am the rose The rose I am the rose The rose with no flowers I am the rose The rose all thorns The mind he made The hand he touched The winter rose