A Winter Rose

I'm easily delighted by finding good surprises in my garden.  My roses had pretty much closed shop for the season even  before our two freezes.  Somehow, this one decided to live through the sub freezing temperatures and open up even in this dark cold time of the year.  Look on the bottom left just beneath the bud and you may see another surprise.  If not in this picture, you may see her in the next one.

Lo, How a rose e'er blooming from tender stem hath sprung!

               Some say love it is a river that drowns the tender reed,

Of Jesse's lineage coming as men of old have sung.

               Some say love it is a razor that leaves your soul to bleed.

It came a floweret bright 

               Some say love it is a hunger, an endless aching need,

Amid the cold of winter

                I say love it is a flower and you it's only seed.

When half-spent was the night.

It's the heart afraid of breaking that never learns to dance

It's the dream afraid of waking that never takes the chance

It's the one who won't be taken who cannot seem to give

And the soul afraid of dying that never learns to live.

This flower whose fragrance tender with sweetness fills the air,

                When the night has been to lonely and the road has been too long,

Dispels with glorious splendor the darkness everywhere.

                 And you think that love is only for the lucky and the strong,

True man yet very God,

                 Just remember in the winter, far beneath the bitter snow,

From sin and death he saves us

                 Lies the seed that with the sun's love in the spring becomes the rose

And lightens every load.

Rosa 'Fragrant Cloud'  with a lady bug keeping it company. A couple of Sundays ago, a lady bug crawled down the side of a page of music on my stand as I was directing the choir.  I carefully scooped her up and brought her to my greenhouse where she seemed to be happy to drink some water. They're such sweet little bugs!

Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming arr. Sandstrom

There is a rose that blooms so fair

It's fragrance in the air

 doth charm me so 

I ever know 

a scent beyond compare.

This lovely rose came long ago

upon a winter's night.

The angels sang

The shepherds came,

and all the world was right.

O lovely rose, be close to me as through the world I go

And bless me with thy tender love and all folk here below.

Gordon Young

Bring Me A Rose – Ernie Sheldon
Recorded by The Womenfolk (1964)
Bring me a rose in the wintertime
When it’s hard to find
Bring me a rose in the wintertime
I've got roses on my mind
A rose is sweet
Most any time, and yet
Bring me a rose in the wintertime
It’s so easy to forget

Bring me a friend when I’m far from home
When it’s hard to find
Bring me a friend when I’m far from home
I’ve got friendship on my mind
A friend is sweet … It’s so easy to forget

Bring me a smile when I'm all alone
When it’s hard to find
Bring me a smile when I'm all alone
I've got smiles on my mind
A smile is sweet … It’s so easy to forget

Bring me a kiss when my child is grown
When it’s hard to find
Bring me a kiss when my child is grown
I've got kisses on my mind
A kiss is sweet … It’s so easy to forget

Bring me love in my autumn years
When it's hard to find.
Bring me love in my autumn years
I've got loving on my mind.
Love is sweet … It’s so easy to forget

Bring me peace when there's talk of war
When it's hard to find
Bring me peace when there's talk of war
Peace is on my mind
Peace is sweet … It’s so easy to forget

I hope your garden and your holiday season are full of delightful surprises!