In the garden, br I look at a rose and wonder br br Is this rose br laughing with God? br Is it God’s smile, and message, to the earth? br Does it tell br Of God’s goodness, truth, and beauty? br Of God’s stillness? Peace? and silence? br br Or if you gazed at it long enough br and carefully enough, br perhaps with a laugh or smile, br in stillness, peace, and silence, br would it tell you everything br that God would have you know? br br * * * br br For even if you are br a cynic, locked into your own mind br by your own key br and say, oh, it’s just br savage, ruthless nature, competing br with all the other flowers, for the bees – br for nothing but its own selfish ends - br you must admit br that Whoever allowed, invented, made, decreed br the laws for the construction of br such complex, simple beauty (which a bee may never know?) br is pretty cool.