UNDETTERED

Who will she become,

this wee lass
who flings her cap
with such abandon,

she cannot know
what her future holds,

none of us know
at such a tender age,

we get off track
between A,B,C’s and Socrates
before finding our way,

it’s all okay,

every way has merit,

yet here she is,
undeterred,

by forks in the road,
by the great unknown,

maybe it’s the elders
who have gone before
whispering wise counsel
to her tender heart:

watch your step, don’t trip on that rock,
beware of looming danger,

it’s everywhere and nowhere
you need to be,

use your intellect, your bravery, your discipline
to traverse the highways of life,
steer with a steady hand and clear mind,

and always keep our whispers close,

we will help you reach
the future your heart seeks most.

Photo taken of my great niece by her parents Josiah and Amanda Garvey.

The stone steps,
embedded in the earth,
rose from ravine to hilly peak,
offering a way for small feet
to complete the ascent,

such a big task for a small lad,

yet, he was glad for the day,
for the way he could
breathe in and out,
while hiking up and up,

he paused to fill his pockets and hands,
an acorn with a perfect cap,
a stick shaped like a wand,
a shimmery, glassy stone,
a leaf the color of sunset,

every few steps,
something new caught his eyes,
something new caught his ears,

chittering chipmunks,
chattering squirrels,
birds fluttering to and fro
in the vast canopy of trees,

when he reached the top,
his folks marveled at his finds,
then took his hands to meander
their way back home,

it was much later in life,
when he, once again,
ascended the stairs,

this time, his giant strides
reached the peak without rest,

he recalled that earlier hike,
the feeling of being so small,
the thrill of seeing it all,

so, he went down
and did it again.

Photo by my niece, Amber, of her young son.

From the beginning,
she displayed
a great lightness of spirit,

stretching in her mother’s arms,
her graceful hands and feet
seemed to dance in the air,

before taking her first steps,
she stood on tiny toes
like a ballerina waiting
for the orchestra’s cue,

she grew, as children do,
she skipped, she danced,

clover tickled her toes,
dandelion puffs brushed her nose,

on the swing set,
she almost touched the sky,

on firefly nights,
her feet left the ground
in great leaps of delight,

through magical days
and dream-filled nights,
gossamer wings grew
for future flight,

one evening, when the moon
shone like a beacon of light,
she lifted toward the starry skies,

she’d finally become the butterfly
she was always meant to be,

free to soar
above the earth,
free to fill the world with her
grace and spirit,

*****************

it’s hard to let them go,
we love our butterflies so,

leave on the light,

even the bravest
return to the cocoon of youth,
and the loving embrace of home.

Photo of my great niece taken by her mother, Alanna

GIVING BIRTH TO SOMETHING NEW

She was walking in the park
having a less than stellar day,

so many things had gotten in the way
of her happiness,

not sure when it all began
or when it would end,

maybe it was a trend that would
continue on some unknown trajectory,

but there, by the pond,
she spied baby goslings
all fluffy and soft,

just beginning their lives,
but already swimming and foraging,

tough little birds,
not yet afraid of unseen dangers
or a world of strangers,

she smiled considering
all the hopeful signs of spring,

trees giving birth to leaves,
geese giving birth to goslings,
people giving birth to dreams,

maybe she could give birth to
something new,

quit counting her losses,
start counting goslings in the pond,
blossoms on the trees,
smiles on the faces of passersby,

maybe she could start counting
on a different trajectory for her life,

one step, one dream at a time.

Photo by Annalies Corbin at Sunny 95 Park. See more of Annalies’ photography at https://annalies-corbin.pixels.com/
follow her at @annaliescorbinphotography on instagram.