I watch you bloom in the sober light of May.
Like a parent, I carry a pride in my stomach
as you stand in that royal blue.
I watch as you grow against all of your grief.
Like a parent, your victories become my own.
I watch as you live despite all life has taken.
Like a parent, I, too, marvel at how time
moves by so quickly.
How you were once just a child:
big, blue eyes and blonde hair.
But now, you have grown into a woman:
Hair with a green tint,
Tattoos that are love letters on skin,
An empathy that cannot be taught,
And a smile that has walked the edge of darkness
yet still made it home.
Like a parent, I thank God
that you are here,
that you are still growing,
that you are home.