For Roses: v.

Today I am singing
a song of love with all my heart,
a song of friendship
which will never lose its luster
or joy.

Music breaks this pall
of silence hanging over
campus like a cloud:
today a new song
echoes out
for one & all to listen to.

It's much sweeter
when a song of this magnitude
gets sung to those
who appreciate the power
that it brings:
they deserve to hear such
beautiful music being let off
the shelf on which it was placed.
Such songs are dedicated
to those who care,
to those who have the muster
to go out & lend their support
where it is due.

So I sing this new song
with all my heart:
I am not articulating its words
silently
but I am singing from my soul.

(Colophon)

This song is sung for love
as well as for roses,
for trust & respect,
for maintaining integrity
& so much more.

This song I am singing
is life, a living example
for others to take note of.

This song I am singing
is unlike any other
one has ever heard:
it praises lifelong friendship,
promotes love.
But to truly embrace
what this song stands for
one must listen
to the melody & the words.

This song I am singing
is life, a selfless heart
giving as much as he can give.
This song I am singing
is an example of someone
answering the call
to lead, to serve, to commit
his life to a common cause.

It is the common chord
which unites us all,
for love & roses.

For Roses: iv.

Roses: only a select bunch
know the secret power & beauty
behind this word,
the truer, more heartfelt
meaning of lifelong friendship
at work in every letter.

Roses: such an addressing
of sincerity
is a mark of honor
which comes from the heart
& is meant for those
who know,
for those who fully realize
the worth & value
such a flower has always held.

Roses: it is an addressing
of respect, courtesy
all across the board.
At the same time,
the color which this word
carries around
is pure, unblemished -
simple & true in all
of its glory.

Embracing this word
with all of our might,
there can be no doubt
of just how formidable
a rose among many
can be
& has always been.

For Roses: iii.

A few days from now,
life will begin once more
with new plans,
the start of another journey:
who can say
just where we're going?

Who can say
just where the road will take us?
All we know is that life
spent living in this love
has always been a perpetual round
of one journey after another;
it hasn't been about the destination.
At day's end we come away
tired, exhausted, not much
left to give
& still we find the courage
to awaken, to press on
in our search for fellow travelers
to share in our memories,
our stories, our experiences.

We know that the start
of something is about to begin
& one thing is for certain:
our hearts are prepared
for this year's latest journey,
all of the adventure
which it will bring on,
all of its random interludes
of fun & laughter
& most of all,
its valuable lessons
we can return to later on.