Rescued What I Could

clipped back the roses today
saved as many for the vase
as I possibly could salvage
from the scraps piled in the yard
my bloody hands bear the mark
of those whose blossom
had sadly passed their prime
but their thorns were still able
to scratch and fight me
as I shoved them deeply
in to a plastic garbage bag

and now the red of their buds
is criss crossed on my skin
and I will feel the sting
of their aftermark
for days to come
I guess even the roses
that live to decorate my yard
know what it is like to cling
to the last sweet drop of life
and knowing this, tonight
I feel saddened by regret
that I could not save them all