Grow

You told me that you never wanted to stop learning something new;

That you believe loving should feel like falling

Over and over and over

That there should be more days beneath the waves;

Quiet... and filled with conversation .

See,   I prefer my stories like I prefer my people:

Full of heart and upside-down smiles;

almost broken teacups,

almost beautiful.  Almost anything.

 

And this is for that almost,

This is for backyard swing-sets and getting married in bare feet,

This is for us,

This is for being here

For being anywhere but the place we swore we'd never go,

I promise that our souls will always be as loud and glowing with

Laughter as it was when we were children.

Don't worry,

there's still time

to map out a future into our callused heels,

The kind that we always dreamt of pinning

onto cork-board walls like Polaroids and

Thumb-tacks.

Like summer,

your kisses…

they remind me of dandelions.

Soft enough to blow away in the wind and plant itself

Into beauty

 

I remember when you planted yourself into me.

We both folded into an origami crane to count our blessings.

And I admit that sometimes I forget that.

I admit that sometimes I forget a lot of things.

 

but step into this,

Because this is for remembering,

I'm remembering every line I've ever crossed and

Every bridge I never had the heart to burn.

You gave me that choice.

 

So this is for you.

 

This is for the nights  we've both forgotten ourselves, for

Backs dragging down bathroom walls and pencil-lead scars.

This is for the times you stood so close,

 my heart outran my words  and I stood silent.

 

This is for the day we first met,

Our palms were gripping teenage angst and charm,

Sweaty with the weight of unsaid promises and

Nervous train-wrecks.

We watched our feet a lot.

That day, we were  

Careful not to trip on tongue-tied smiles

But we fell anyways;

in love between pages

And bookstore secrets. 

This is for still falling.

 

This is for searching for God beneath whispers,

Holy ghost turning us wholly into something

As we kneel,  as we dance  between pews

heads held high against snickers

Of our holding hands and hearts.

 

And I want to tell you that I know,

 

I know that there are days you stand in front of the mirror

Tugging at skin that could never cover the immensity of your soul.

There's a junk drawer held against your lungs,

And some days you breathe in the dust.

But let me tell you, it looks beautiful.

Beautiful.

Just like diamonds in the right light,

And I know how cliched that sounds

But sometimes honesty is cliché.

So shine anyways.

 

Hold this secret like a pendant against your chest

know that there are nights that God himself

Kneels at the base of your breastbone,

carving crosses

And hope

into the ribs that hold your holy heart,

Your heart…

Your heart knows how to answer prayers if you let it.

See, I know how the anvil feels tied against your bones,

On the days that heaviness puts you six feet under

Reach out,

hold onto this,

your feet are like roots,

Dig them into your soul,

And grow with me.

 

Grow like the sunflowers

Grow into your own skin

Grow. You're almost there.

Reviews

[Daniel Affsprung]

This really is quite a well written poem, keep it up!

[whispereversolightly]

Awe this is so sweet and sincere. Such a loving write.