The Red Rose: A Book of Poems

By Cassandra Rivett

Have you ever felt like you were the only one suffering, learning, or growing? Have you ever felt like God just didnt understand?

Through her poetry, Cassandra Rivett invites you to join her in a world where you find you are not alone in your suffering. She invites you on an intimate journey through her lifefrom her teenage years into adulthood. She invites you to join her in her struggles with faith and relationships, through love both gained and lost, and through moments that were only fantasized about.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Mar 16, 2015
• ISBN: 9781490871455

Cassandra Rivett

Cassandra Rivett has loved English and writing since high school. She began her collection of poetry at age fourteen. Her favourite pastime is watching the stars, and she enjoys spending time with family and friends. Cassandra, her husband and their daughter watch the skies from Spruce Grove, Alberta, Canada.

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Copyright © 2015 Cassandra Rivett.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

WestBow Press

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Bloomington, IN 47403

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-4-908-7144-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-7146-2 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-7145-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015903317

WestBow Press rev. date: 03/12/2015

Contents

Introduction and Welcome

So Write

Part I Sometimes a Rose Is More Thorn than Flower

Alone in a Crowded Place

Perpetual Fear

Bittersweet Symphony

I Remember a Second Chance

In the Shadows

Lion in Sheep’s Clothing

Pieces

The Wanderer

Trapped Little Girl

Painful Mask

Everything

Broken

My Confession

Life Today

A Happy Beginning with No Happily Ever After

Broken to Pieces

Hopelessness Wrapped in Despair

Misery Coming Home

Part II Other Times, a Rose Has No Thorns at All

Eyes

She Hurts

Surrender

Your Eyes, O Lord

War from Inside

The Mountain

The Star

My Best Friend

Memories

My Chains of Shame

To Dance

Part III Sometimes a Rose Decorates a Beautiful Bouquet

Fire in Autumn

Night Dancers

Inspiration amidst Power

Paint the Silence

Faces Unknown

Part IV Other Times, It Stands Alone in Its Fiery, Passionate Red

My One and Only

I Don’t Want to Close My Eyes

Come Home

Mesmerized

Torn

You Were There

Captivated

Dancing Smiles

Will You Love Me?

The Sequel

What a Love I Could Barely Know

Part V But Always, a Rose Is Just a Rose

I Can’t Sleep

My Angel Has a Pen

Uncorked Pen

The Girl on the Street Corner

While We Sleep

Daffodils, Roses, and Tulips

Smelly Trolls

Crawling Alone

A Reminder from God

A Whisper from Jesus

This book is dedicated to my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. I’m merely reflecting words He has already written and spoken in an attempt to grasp even a small bit of the beauty He carries.

To my husband, who has never stopped believing in me and kept encouraging me when all I wanted was to throw the pen through the wall.

To all the people in the world who hurt, who are sad, who are lonely, and who need hope—may these words lead you to the eternal hope that can only be found in Jesus Christ.

Introduction and Welcome

Welcome to my world. Come in, pull up a chair by the fire, and let the heat warm your cold toes as your favourite hot beverage warms your fingers around the cup and the smell fills your nostrils with warmth and comfort. As you sit there, in all comfort and readiness, let my words open up your world to all I am, have, and hope to bring. Find new strength. Find joy. Find sorrow. You might even find that we are just a little bit crazy, but that is okay. We were never meant to be normal—who even knows what that means, anyway? I hope that regardless of what you might find out about yourself through these pages, you will remember that you aren’t alone. I’ve lived those lies,