Hopeless?

I was sweeping the outside garden of dried leaves and dust when I realised I had swept along something else.

A flower. A single, red flower. The same crimson stalk that I had written in a previous post (Hope Springs Eternal), when I supposed the idea that the flower represents hope.

There it lies, lifeless amongst the dross.

Does this mean that hope is dead?

*Apologies for not writing much recently. I had that feeling where I couldn't be bothered. You probably know what it's like.