You are the sun around which all the stars in my eyes revolve.
And Mom, while I was pretending that our worlds hovered in galaxies light years away,
in reality, you were right above me.
Where you've always been,
where you always are.
After 21 years of life I have finally realized that I need only to direct my gaze upward.
And now as I stand;
on the brink of true independence;
staring, mesmerized, looking up to you,
I can see how high I have to fly to keep from falling to the ground.
And I am grounded in my tracks,
gazing at a distance that before this moment seemed so close.
And so far from the walls of this nest, my foundation, the embrace of your arms,
will I depart,
As a sinking sensation begins to settle in my heart.
You have surrendered to me all the fruits of your labor and all the seeds of your love.
And though the roots of our ancestors have become tangled and twisted,
you should know that this tree stands strong.
Resilient to storms that have in times past knocked us to the ground and emptied us of song.
But your tree, our tree, will endure.
It will not be burned by the flaming embers of envy or ignited by the sparks of silenced truths.
It will withstand the hurricanes born by hatred and the swirling clouds of arrogance.
It will bloom forth with the brightness of the sun that shines behind your eyes,
because you,
took the time to let it grow.