The storm rolled in,
the trees were stark,
against the dark sapphire sky,
the roads an endless white blanket.
How quiet it gets
when it snows,
I thought the day you were born.
Love was held in each breath,
in your eyes I discovered
the constellations
of the sky.
I cradled you in my arms,
my heart racing.
I wanted to live,
to love you
through your first scraped knees,
watch over you when you climb trees,
read you bedtime stories.
I wanted to live
to watch your pearly teeth
sprout like limbs of a young tree.
I wanted to guide you to catch
your first fish,
while the seagulls watch in anticipation
waiting to steal it.
I wanted to hear about your first kiss,
when your lips feel like they're on fire,
when they feel soft like billowy clouds.
I wanted to build bridges between
your generation and mine.
Share postcards of oceans I have crossed,
of places you will go one day,
when you grow up to be a man.
Building your own life,
your own future.
I wanted to play games
I had played with my brothers,
when we were children,
build forts out of sheets and pillows.
Dance with you in the kitchen,
the way I dance with your grandfather
when the harvest moon floats in the sky.
I wanted,
I wanted,
I want
your breath to be yours,
your space to be free,
your journey to be one of discovery.
Shape your world
and mold it with your interpretation
and your intention.
Navigate your compass
with true wisdom,
questioning,
seeking,
loving.
