for paris

The days of messy strawberries are far behind us now
but when I feel a warm summer breeze I know you are with me
I said the prophet’s names out loud for you
not in hopes of memorization
but in the hope you would embody their kind of spirit
you surpassed this love as you grew older
the wide-eyed child that had this
otherworldly presence everywhere she went
“where did she come from?”
not because of your doe-like essence
not because of your angelic disposition but because
whether they knew it or not
they felt your divine aura
suddenly I had this realization that
you’re my sister
I saw the stars in your eyes and felt your dreams like they were my own
I would hold your hands and we would run through the sprinklers together
the sun beaming down on our closeness and we would imagine that this moment was all that mattered
little did we know we couldn’t have been closer to the truth
you would cry on my shoulder when things went amiss and I would shield you with all the love I had in my being
there was a calmness when you were near
perhaps I needed you to shield me too
we lead each other to a different world from what we had known
we followed enchanted skies and spoke to angels
made plans with enlightened loved ones
I watched you sit in your garden and make your magic
encounter the beaten path and heal it
soften every step with your overflowing heart and beautiful mind
I watched as you saturated the world with your patience
leaving it a little less
crestfallen
then your ship came and you welcomed it with open arms
for you knew it would always come for you
whether it was mere destiny or some grand design
two loves came together to invite the world back to its universe
to conquer life without fear
to have your delightful adventures
and now
behold!
your sweet child who will also carry the light you have inside of you
so bright now that it will illuminate the seas
he will be the lighthouse
as you have been
for me