in
April 1st, 2004
woman
who are you
who were you before
who are you now
you were once a child of lush grass and cool streams
of trees and mountains
of bare feet
and hair flowing wild behind you
you used to be wild
swinging from vine to branch
going thousands of miles and back again
just to prove you could
where did that child go
that strong child
that child full of life
that child rich in beauty and happiness and love
but you
you show no trace of the child I raised
the child I nurtured
the child I loved
that child is gone
and you have been sent to replace her
you
with your long hair pulled tight
at the back of your head
with no laughter in your eyes
with pointy shoes
the child I knew always went barefoot
the child I knew took care
to love anything alive
to love the trees and the plants and the animals
but you
you even now stepped on a fallen leaf
no
you are not the child I knew
she was before
you are after
she is gone
you are here
but what happened to her
she was taken away
away from the woods
away from her home
away from me
but she came back
she told of grotesque things
huge grey things
that seem alive
but she was not able to talk with them
they hurt the trees
made them into no more then
stumps
and so she came back
but they found her
they left with her
and I never saw her again
until you came along
are you my child
are you really a child raised by the trees
by life
you can’t be
no
you are alive
but dead
deaf and blind
like all the others
but are you really
prove it
prove you were raised by trees
by me
swing from the vines
go barefoot and
and let your hair flow behind you
be the child I knew
the child of sunlight and beauty
of happiness and love
can you be her
be her forever
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