She walks toward the sea
afraid of the deep,
but excited to see
what lies ahead.

She runs through the forest,
sun streaming through the tall
green trees.

She finds a meadow
where flowers abound.
She smiles
and basks in the quiet.

But it is not quiet for long.

She stumbles and falls,
and fear rushes in.
Threatening.
Piercing.
Gripping.
Pulling.

She fights
as hard as she can.
She wants to go on.
She wants to open her eyes
and feel the warmth again.

So slowly
but surely,
she picks up
the pieces.

And she goes on.

Another year older.
Another year ahead.
21.

Time to drink, celebrate.
Be in your prime.
Chase your dreams.
Be reckless.

Be fearless!
Think of what you can do,
for everything is on the table.
Nothing is off limits.

But learn your lessons.
You've been around the block now
once or twice.
You've been hit hard.

Now is the time
to be smart.
Let the past be a teacher,
a reminder,
an old guide.

Let the future be a new,
mysterious friend.
A path to more,
to beyond,
to better.

It's in your hands now.
Happy birthday.
21.

An enemy.
Someone from childhood
I barely knew.

A time
where egos rise
and people lie
behind a smile.

But she
was stuck
inside her misery.

Never permitted
the world to see.

All of this
unknown to me.
As I fought
my own world of grief.

Hating.
Spiting.
Sneering.
Prying.

Wishing for her
to fall from grace.
So I could rise
to take her place.

Yes, we were young.
Lost in our thoughts.
Unaware
of any costs.

Yet still we grow.
Change.
And the universe
drives forward.

Making a fool of us all.
And our anger
for our enemies
feels so small.

We are all just cracks
in an endless
night sky
trying to find the light.

So I sent her grace
and wished to the stars
that she find peace
and be at ease.

And an enemy
she was
no more.

I hope heaven is a blue sky
that shines with crystals at night,
with clear water surrounded by forest
and a waterfall that tumbles down.

I hope to hear voices singing
a soft, sweet melody.
As a warm light holds me
in the warm, summer air.

I hope at night,
heaven is quiet,
as a chorus of crickets sing.

I hope there are flowers in heaven,
of every color.
And I can run in a field full of them,
and feel no pain.

I hope heaven is
where I'll see my loved ones again.
Where they'll greet me with a smile
and open arms.

"Come here, kid,"
they'll say.
And I will smile from ear to ear.

I hope heaven is
where we'll all be together,
free from worry,
and at peace.

And I hope the Lord will care for us,
His children,
in our eternal home.
Where we can look back on those
who are still on Earth.

I hope we may watch over them
and feel pride as they grow.
That we may be there
when they need someone to lift them
out of the darkness they face.

I hope heaven is
free from hate,
filled with love,
brimming with joy.

And I hope we can create
a little of this heaven
here on Earth
for the living who need it most.