In my dreams I see millions of fireflies flying in the dark and illuminating the night with their heavenly light.
As I am watching this scene unfold I see hundreds of frogs on the horizon as they march slowly towards the fireflies I witness a grisly scene. I start to see right before my eyes that the fireflies are being eaten by the frogs. At first one by one but soon hundreds of fireflies have fallen to the skillful tongues of frogs until only a handful of fireflies remain and then there is only one firefly left. Even as the frogs are trying to get that one last firefly it is brighter and lighter than the rest and it is able to easily avoid the tongues of the frogs until it begins to rise above the frogs and into the sky free from the frogs at last. I feel like sometimes we can be like fireflies sharing our light but when troubles come we can easily be swallowed by the frogs of life that try to bring us down but as long as we keep our inner light strong in ourselves we can be like the last firefly left easily avoiding the frogs of life that try to bog and you will rise any trials that life has to offer.

there are so many of you
that i would love to sit down with;
maybe over a milkshake and a plate of fries;
and just talk.
i want to ask you about the boy that hurt you,
about the anger you feel deep inside
over a father who said he’d come back...
and then didn’t.
i want to run with you through pages of words and say
“oh that’s right, what a lovely metaphor.”
i want to see all your smiling faces and
thank each and every one of you for showing me kindness,
for saving my life.
i want to collaborate on novels of poetry
and laugh with you through the tears of our pasts.
so until we sip those milkshakes and eat those fries...
thank you, to
some of the most beautiful people i have never met.

Look,
one day,
it’s all
going to happen
to you.

You’ll wake up one morning
and skin your knee
for the
very first time.

You’ll jump
into your best friend’s
pool
in the middle
of winter
just to feel the
cold.

You’ll fall asleep
drunk
in someone’s
backyard
on cheap *****
that sticks
to your fingers
like pancake syrup,
and burns
like the hell
you’ll feel
the first time
you realize
he doesn’t love you
back.

Your life
will be full
of
laughter
and
heartache
and
temper tantrums
from not getting your way
at 5
and age 25.

But baby girl,
if you’re lucky,
and since you’re
your mother’s daughter,
you will be,
your life will be bursting
at the seams
with all the stars
shores
and peanut butter cups
your little body
can hold.

Maybe you’ll
grow up
and save
the world.

Maybe
you’ll slam
your car door
when you leave
and break my
heart.

Or maybe you’ll be
like me,
awake at all hours
writing down words
for someone
who doesn’t yet
exist.

But no matter
which path
you choose,
know that
I’ll always
be at the end of it
waiting for you
with sweets
and bandaids
in hand.