I wish I could write my love to you.
I want my words to touch you like sunshine.
I want you to feel them surround you like the wind.
Embrace you like the sea.
I want to be like time--taking hold of you and not letting go until the end.

I left before I met you.
I had to prove myself to the world.  
When you first saw me, you were still legally blind
but that didn't stop the universe from revealing itself in your eyes;
glistening as you nibbled on your little fingers.  
I still haven’t claimed a name yet
but you keep growing,
no matter how much I wish you would slow down.

I’m terrified. I feel I've already failed you
and you’re not even a year old.
Mostly because I’ll be back when you've probably developed kneecaps.
You’ll be able to stand on your own.
By then I won’t be part of those special memories--
those little pieces we cherish even as adults.

I won’t be able to right this wrong--
I guess the only thing I can write right now
...is a thank you text for the new pictures of you.
I wish I could write my love to you--
but you can’t read it yet and I can’t teach you to read.