A Rose and A Key

This year for Valentine's
I thought I'd do
Something simple
Yet meaningful as well
A single red rose
As a symbol of my love
Around it a red ribbon
Tied in a bow
With a tiny silver charm
A skeleton key
It's not large enough
To open a lock or a door
But that doesn't matter
It is large enough
For something else
Much more important
It's a symbol
Of my willingness
To open up and share
Myself with you
My love, my life
It's the key to my heart
To unlock and solve
The mystery that is me
It is my sincerest hope
That you accept all I offer
With this simple gift
Of a rose and a key

2.14.04

CMT

Author's Notes

Around the end of January, I had no idea what I was going to do for Valentine's Day for Kodi. Then one Saturday, we were at the mall, trying to find things for the wedding, when we stopped at a kiosk and looked at their sterling silver charms. Kodi picked out a couple for one of her sisters, and I found one for a friend's birthday. I paid for them, and then I spotted the keys. At that moment, I knew what I was going to do for Valentine's.

A few days before Valentine's, I bought some parchment paper and red ribbon from the craft store. While I was there, I walked past a display of artificial flowers, which gave me another idea. I thought, after Valentine's, it might be cool to get one of those roses and frame it with the key and the poem in a shadow box for Kodi.

After I gave Kodi her present (which of course, she loved), I told her about my idea for framing it. She was so excited about my idea that we went to the craft store that very afternoon and got a 13"x17"x2" black shadow box, a red rose bud, and this black paper that looks like seude leather for the backing. We glued the poem and the rose to the black paper and hung the key from a small silver chain and tied the chain to the stem of the rose with the red ribbon.

Both of us absolutely love how it turned out. It looks as cool as I thought it would. All the colors just seem to pop on the black background; the green and red of the rose, the yellow parchment paper of the poem, and the silver chain and key.

Framed Poem, Rose and Sterling Silver Key