The Rose's Thorns

Like a rose must have her thorns
To keep her livelihood,
A woman must have her honor
To keep her maidenhood.

Like a rose must have her thorns,
A sign of painful beauty,
A woman must have certain limits
To not cross into vanity.

Like a rose must have her thorns
To keep predators away,
A woman must have integrity
To keep weak men at bay.

Like a rose must have her thorns
To complete her natural appearance
A woman must have her grace
To move and sing and dance.

Like a rose must have her thorns
A woman must have her individuality
For when she is just another face in the crowd
She has lost all sense of liberty.

Like a rose must have her thorns
To prove she's more than she seems,
A woman must prove she has wit
And the talent to reach her dreams.