A rose is a rose

A rose is a rose

Beneath a cloak of darkness
the maiden played her hand
in hopes to get her finger
into a wedding band.
-
The age old sage was wiry
though faint in his defense
and soon she had him cornered
with all of her pretense.
-
A moonrise in her favor
left him no place to hide
and so this crafty maiden
became a lovely bride.
-
The portrait of their wedding
without a doubt still shows
that thorns though they be hidden
still grow upon the rose.