Desert Rose
Ruramayi Rukuni
A young girl with HIV
Who knew she was going to die.
Her beauty was not of the typical roseate kind,
More beautiful perhaps;
Despite being rooted in adversity
She still had managed to blossom
So I called her desert rose.
A rose symbolises the fragility of life
It will bud, blossom,
Wither, then perish,
But this doesn’t make its existence pointless.
In those brief hours of splendour
It will inspire.
Although life is fleeting,
The rose gives us hope that there is still some beauty
And drives us to make a positive mark;
Before we are no longer able.
Words failed me, but she smiled
And took my hand.
I looked death in the face.
But hope stared me back.
What seemed like the end
Was possibly the beginning
Of me…
I then remembered a visit to an AIDS home called ‘Mashambanzou’ – the literal meaning – the time the elephants bathe – daybreak or dawn.
The creative writing experience took me back to a moment that affirmed my career choice. I found it very centering and the same time liberating…
Very nice….glad to see Zimbabwe is still on your heart.
A touching poem, so stripped back and honest. The final verse was particularly moving.
A really moving poem, so raw and tender, yet with a conclusion that offers hope and looks towards the future. The beautiful melancholic style of writing of this poem really adds to the feeling of a sad but determined attitude, and how this particular experience, which in itself is a sad situation, can cause much reflexion for the author, and even a change in career choice that will be so significant for the author. The metaphorisation of the patient as a desert rose, is one that resonates a lot with me, having seen people with serious conditions, even life-limiting or life-threating ones, show such resilience, and how they will, even until their last moments, show such love and portray such hope to the people around them. This poem really shows how, even if a patient is in an incredibley dire situation, so much good and positivity can come from that moment, that can inspire both the family members and the doctors that they meet, leaving a lasting impression upon them. These kinds of interactions with patients, where you leave hopeful and deeply satisfied with your choice of career, is the reason I chose medicine.
I really love the metaphor and its use in the poem comparing the young girl to the desert rose. Although a withering rose is no longer as bright and healthy as they once were, like a human, they are still beautiful. There is beauty and greater meaning found in a rose’s fleeting splendour, it reminds us to savour and be grateful for life whilst it is blossoming.