John Singleton with Bob HowardRip Van Australia (Stanmore: Cassell Australia, 1977), pp. 62-63, under the heading “Criticism”. Also published on the front page of the May 1977 Progress Party of New South Wales newsletter without a title; and with the title, “And God created the rose,” in Advertising News, February 15, 1974, p. 4.

john singletonAnd the rose was red
and beautiful among the grass
and trees and in the earth.
And criticism came together,
as criticism does, and sat around the rose,
as criticism does, and spoke and acted
without thinking as criticism does.
And the red was too red and
the petals were too soft and criticism took
them off and smiled and nodded, as
criticism does.

And the bud was raw and naked
with the petals dead and criticism added,
as criticism does, just one more little
thing, as criticism does.
The bud looks rather ugly
just sitting there.
And so criticism nipped the bud,
as criticism does.
And criticism sat around and
spoke and talked and prattled, as
criticism does, and saw the stem was
thorny and criticism said:
Ugliness has no part in nature
and criticism said:
The world would be a better place
if that thorny stem were dead.

So criticism gripped the stem
and broke it and pulled it from the ground
and the thorn pricked the skin
of criticism and it bled.
But did not even feel the pain.