Within :: Without

in the desert
springs
a bruised reed,
a wilting flower,
a thorn with no rose.
from such great heights
none can dare imagine.
yet life within
overcomes
death without.
barren wastelands
give birth to beauty.
from the ashes,
arise prosperity.
from the desert,
springs anew.
the misshapen stone
becomes the cornerstone.
majesty in mystery:
darkness, stripped off,
light shines forth;
thorns renounced,
beauty unveiled;
in the desert,
springs
life anew.