I saw three roses on the wall,
Three red, red roses on the wall,
Repeated in a pattern:
The first, I Cleopatra call,
The second one's named Sadie Hall,
The third one is a slattern.
Three flowers, all curlycues and swirls,
Each blare-mouthed like a trumpet;
One used to fish for swine with pearls,
The second was the best of girls,
The third one was a strumpet.
Three red-mouthed roses on the wall
As bright and hot as blood;
The first one caused an empire fall,
The second was just Sadie Hall,
The third died in the mud.