pretty pink flower she is soon to be;

i hold in my hand the bud of a peony. 

concealed within herself, protected and closed--

too young to see her beauty unopposed. 

daisies and lilies, are all open books: 

light, delicate, and concerned with their looks. 

they are lacking in substance, character too--

peony is different, she is more than her hue. 

as the young bud grows beyond her youth, 

her layers fall, to reveal the truth. 

she is strong and beautiful, inside and out; 

her petals unravel, too many to count. 

her identity once hidden, now shines in the sun; 

her spirit and beauty are second to none.