The Raindrops & the Rose

a poem

Nate Lost
2 min readApr 1, 2024

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painting of a rose by Joel Islas
Artwork by Mexican artist Joel Islas

Six raindrops fell from heaven’s mist
and found a place to sit
upon the petal’s gentle lips —

Oh rose, the fiercest and most delicate
of flowers unfolds upon the twilight hour.

And in its wisdom it cares not for all the script
That man has etched in maguey leaves
Or notebook pages just like this
With foolish dreams they will persist.

Instead, it knows no future and no past,
But lives fully in the time of Now.
Sure, death will have the final laugh —
But true beauty is ephemeral.

Las Gotas de Lluvia y la Rosa

Seis gotas de lluvia cayeron de la neblina de cielo
y encontraron un lugar para posarse
sobre los labios sueve de los pétalos —

Oh rosa, la más feroz y delicada de las flores
se despliega en la hora crepuscular.

Y en su sabiduría no le importa todo el guion
que el hombre ha escrito en hojas de maguey
o páginas de cuaderno justo como esta
con suenos tontos persistirán.

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Nate Lost

I'm an American living in Mexico City. Also a poet, basketball player, and a fan of the fungi. Occasional cultural critic.