Coming Into You

Breathe it in, sweet girl

your collections are grand;

authenticity rings through your branches,

feathers shine with fulfilment, 

your leaves and moss and acorns;

spout kindness, provision, creativity.

Let it go, sweet girl

you’ve made your own way.

the boxes are broken down;

you’ve stayed safely outside of them.

it hurt you, didn’t it? way back then.

I’ve watched your sorrow turn to radiance.

Straighten your spine, sweet girl

you’ve been hunching over details;

apprehending imperfections, 

etching them into the opposite.

you can rest now,

you are safe. 

Come inside, sweet girl

show me what you’ve found

through your travels I will learn

to be as brave and honest as you are

tender, patient, kind.

not a product of days past,

but a person.