Poetry Reading – “All That You Are Sure to Be”

This piece, originally published February 20, 2018, was written and published the day after I met one of the most important and incredibly special people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing.

What started as a chance encounter with one very nervous, yet enthusiastic, girl in the conservatory during a music concert quickly became a bond that has lasted the test of time and remains to this day one of my most cherished treasures.

This is for Athena, whose patient Owl eyes are always there to watch over me, whose wisdom has guided me through so many trials and painful moments. My heart for you. May we gather soon.

Note that the artwork featured in this piece is also by Athena.

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The original piece is below for reference, and can be found in its entirety at https://objectsanddistance.com/2018/02/20/all-that-you-are-sure-to-be/

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Sweet one,
How you need
Someone
Your eyes are calling out
And the lack of breath between words
The excited shaking in your hand
As you reach for another Guava-flavored candy
From your pretty purse
Settled gently against your thigh
Says more than the volumes you have spoken
Though both are equally fascinating

Fierce-eyed warrior of the heart,
You have come so far
You have learned
So many things
That no girl your age
Should ever have to learn
You have walked through fire
And come out with a torch
Ready to dive deep
Into the darkest dungeons
To shine your brilliant light
On all the unsuspecting monsters;
My God, what will lay in your wake . / ?

Lovely jay-bird,
Do you know
That at least once
I can assure you
The sun rose only for you
And you alone
And that once
Its tired eyes had finally laid closed for rest,
The moon rose
And reflected the very same beams
Deep into the night
With the sole intent
That they may reach your eyes
For just that much longer?

Oh, creator of worlds unknown,
How you need someone to listen
To all you have to say
Without interjecting
Their own stories and opinions;
How you need
To be loved
Without judgement
Without expectation
Of reciprocation;
How you need to understand
That need is not an extension of another’s will
That no-one can ever control you;
You are a stream of life
And you will flow straight through
Any obstruction.

Dearest princess of a rabbit kingdom far away,
Though you are not now
May you someday be
Queen of all you see
A goddess in her own right
A beam
Straight to the retina
Each and every day
A pulse
A reminder
Of what is still good
To constantly hear
How incredibly unique
You are
Never to feel alone
As you lay claim
To the parts of this world
That were yours
From the moment you arrived.

Sweet girl with eyes ablaze,
More than anything
You should know
That you are valuable
More so than anything else on this Earth
And deserve to be treated as such
By someone who understands
You
And all that you are
All that you were
All that you are sure to be.