The things she gave up
At first didn't amount to much
A milliliter here
A few dry ingredients there
Shrugging off dreams in solid formation
Shedding liquids and never saying goodbye
She learned how to do this from her mother
Sloughing painlessly
From her father she learned how to hold on
These two opposing directions making the process difficult
At first didn't amount to much
A milliliter here
A few dry ingredients there
Shrugging off dreams in solid formation
Shedding liquids and never saying goodbye
She learned how to do this from her mother
Sloughing painlessly
From her father she learned how to hold on
These two opposing directions making the process difficult
But losing father
And gaining blood
However temporary
Was a good thing
There could've been baseball
Custard pies and relatively short holidays
But instead she learned the comfort of breath
Sick children leaving embarrassed grandparents in their wake
Sick grandparents getting what they deserve, eventually
Playing with molecules
She would never have dreamed that she would one day become a bear
After being both snake and eagle
It was remarkable how easily she fell into hibernation
Aggressive discontent
Lugubrious curiosity
In a forest fire
It is easy to lose bearing
Tree marked with pee
Bush resembling Abraham Lincoln
Stump that bruises
Pebbles soft from stream
--
4.13.09
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