Fern In Shade

What a loss, 

to not allow yourself

to feel—

the soft caress of the wind

on your skin,

the calming tone

of a bird’s voice,

the world-changing waves

of a new love.

I wonder how long

a body can sustain

days lost

on a remote island,

how the soul curls inward

like a fern in shade,

fearing the sun.

So I will let my words

find you.

They will pierce

the thick layers

of defensive cold.

For I was once there,

and survived—

just as the rivers,

the waves,

their tender creatures,

all offer their names

until even silence reaches.