Rose, a maid so fragile and young,

found her way into my life;

like a ray of light and of love,

she healed my inward strife.

From faraway she appeared,

sage, wise, and maven;

and as she grew closer to me,

she saw in me her twin.

But from fear and from distrust

I sought to push her away:

For I feared to let her in and

let her have with me her sway.

This I did oft' now already;

but dear God in Heaven!—

by doing thus all I’ve achieved

was hurting my new twin.

Alas, alas! what have I done

to one so giving and so kind?

I'm unworthy of her friendship

and heart (one that's so hard to find).

But…O happy, happy day for me!

With her great heart and soul

she forgave my many offense

so that we may again be whole.

My comely, long and sable-haired Rose

with your apple-green eyes!

How good to me you are,—how kind,

how mild, how sweet, how very wise!

I am so honored that you call

yourself my twin and equal,

a version of me at twenty-five:—

indeed, we are reciprocal.

You have so much potential and

mastered so much, dear Rose,

that you ought not have to live

in cruel self-doubt’s shadows.

Sadly, you once said to me: “Men

like me, but I can’t see why.”

But I see why, dear Rose—for those

you love you'd give all and die.

By Ngoc Nguyen

From: United States