is in each chapter of American history, so this is not new news. But, it’s September 11th and the History Channel is airing its old specials. Crack! Charlie Kirk was slain. He slumped back, dead in a single shot.
This etheree is copyright 2025 by Jessica McLean. File sharing is encouraged.
“Political violence is hardly a new phenomenon in a country that has seen a civil war, four presidential assassinations, and lynchings. But it is rising again. … Acts of political violence exact an appalling human toll in lives lost and families shattered; Mr Kirk’s death leaves two small children fatherless. But they also – by design – deter other people from political or other civic activity at all levels. …In this perilous moment, the response to such hateful crimes should be to coalesce to stress non-violence and civic tolerance. To instead promote division will only increase the threat to politicians and activists of all stripes, and strike another blow to democracy itself.”
Welcome to The Rose! This is my literary corner of the internet, dedicated to all things creative writing. Here is where I keep a collection of my work. This includes everything from poems to short stories to writing tips, aka my collection of AD-Libs. I hope you enjoy what I have written here and are able to relate to my work. But ultimately, I hope this site inspires you to love writing as much as I do!
Writing Like a Rose: With Beauty, Thorns, Addiction, Dedication, and Inspiration. Please see the “About” pages for more information!!
Feedback: Criticism is welcomed!! And, feel free to leave comments if you like or dislike something.
What’s here: See the different categories for different poem formats! They include sestinas, villanelles, sonnets, etheree, semi-perfect sonnets, haiku and others.
Most recently published: “Political violence”, an etheree, and “Rubbing my mother’s feet”, a villanelle.
Important: Due to the story’s sensitive nature, the sestina, “Coming to America”, is password protected. If you would like the password, please email me at magnoliamclean@comcast.net.
AD-Lib is here! You can view previous AD-Libs under the “AD-Libs” tab to get some great tips on your writing and find out what is going through my head as I write. You can also view old Ad-Libs by year under the “Archived Entries” tab.
Coming soon: You’ll be surprised! ;) I always try to keep this site updated, so there’s always something new here!
The fine print: Finally, please read IMPORTANT copyright information before proceeding; however, I do encourage the file sharing of my work.
Again, welcome! And, enjoy your time at “The Rose”!!
The Rose 
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