A White Rose

The red rose whispers of passion,
And the white rose breathes of love.
O, the red rose is a falcon,
And the white rose is a dove.
But I send you a cream-white rosebud
With a flush on its petal tips,
For the love that is purest and sweetest
Has a kiss of desire on the lips.


A White Rose, by Irish-American poet John Boyle O'Reilly