We recently had the pleasure of connecting with poet Adriana Rocha about her new chapbook, Roses , published right here at Verseve. Inspired by photographs taken in the summer of 2025, Rocha’s collection is far more than an ode to the classic flower! it’s a potent celebration of female identity and resilience.

Here’s an inside look at why Rocha chose the rose and what readers can take away from this delicate, creative, and natural collection.

We Are All Roses
For Adriana Rocha, the connection between a woman and a rose is  symbolic. “There is a saying, women like Roses because women are Roses,” she tells us. This analogy is the very heart of the chapbook.

Rocha explains that the life of a woman is strikingly similar to the life of a rose. Like the flowers, women are beautiful, fragile, and their presence carries a beautiful essence. But the comparison goes deeper than surface beauty.

Readers might notice that the life of woman is like the life of a rose, both a living being but also an element that represents love, power and feminity.

The poems within the collection showcase this duality. In “WAS TOLD,” the speaker is reminded by the rose to be selfish and take action today, reflecting the power and agency a woman holds. Yet, in “Stop wondering,” the poet feels the thorns while holding the roses, exposing her love and vulnerability.

The Favorite Poem: Essence and Presence
When asked to name her favorite poem in the collection, Rocha chose “GALEME SI ROSE”. This poem articulates the purpose Rocha sees in being a woman:

“It talks about the analogy between being a woman and being a rose, we were meant to make a place, home, work, warmer, we take our charm there and we give what we own: Essence and presence”.

This idea of carrying and giving one’s inner “essence and presence” is central to the chapbook’s theme of self-worth and purpose, beautifully reflected in the stunning images of the poet with the red roses.

Final Thoughts from the Poet
Roses is not just about appreciating beauty; it’s about claiming your space, embracing your thorns, and defining your own narrative. As the poet writes in “I am my own art,” she is a “living photograph” and an “alive poem”.

Adriana Rocha leaves us with a final encouragement: “Enjoy my art, enjoy my Poetry, enjoy summer and give more Roses to women”.

Interested in Publishing Your Own?
If Adriana Rocha’s process inspires you, she has this advice: “Reach out to Editorial Verseve, share your ideas, share your art and enjoy the process. You are in good hands”.

Find your copy of Roses by Adriana Rocha today and embrace the essence of the rose within you!