Come to me, my curious children
Gather ‘round the firelight
Lend me your hearts as well as your ears
As I whisper of a young couples plight

He laid pink roses by her side
To be there for when she would wake
A silent reminder of what he said
An apology for his sake

Their perfume filled her heart
Before she realized his gift
At once she broke into tears
Because she thought they began to drift

He felt her sorrow and his guilt
He wanted her to forgive his sin
But it did not matter what he said
Because her heart he could not win

She was hurt and forlorn
Unable to trust her love once more
She wanted to hide from all the pain
She receded to her room and locked the door

He sat outside her window
Refusing to take his leave
He wanted her forgiveness
He wanted her to believe

"I would never hurt you" he said
Her only response was "You did"
"I’m ever so sorry" her true love did claim
"I will do whatever you bid"

With tears in her eyes and anger in her heart
She opened her window wide to yell
"Be gone from my sight and my world,
I bid you, go to hell!"

It was then his turn to cry his tears
As he turned away
She knew that she had spoken ill
But what else was she to say?

He disappeared from her world
As his love had told him to
He tried to find the gates of hell
And soon they were in his view

She could not take it anymore
And set off to find her true love
In attempt to heal both their wounds
And again be pure as the dove

She found him at the gates of hell
Begging for his entrance
"She told me to come and so I did!"
In a voice that had changed since his absence

His eyes were red, filled with pain
His voice hoarse and broken
He moved as if dying
The reason remaining unspoken

"Oh my love, what a fool I’ve been!"
She shouted from her hiding place
She ran to him as quick as she could
Feeling safe again in his embrace

They wept in each others arms
Until it was time to go
For they always had what they wanted
Little did they know

By the time they returned
Her vase was tilted
The flowers had died
Each petal crumpled and wilted

But it did not matter
The roses had not survived
As long as they had each other
Was the conclusion upon which they arrived

And that is the story of a maiden so fair
And her love both bold and devoted
"Love lasts longer than a rose"
Or so I heard it quoted.