The sun rose in steps today
one ray, in front of the other
forming a stairway to the sky
to finger paint the clouds
in loud-n-wild iridescence
and sullen baby blues

Reaches for the empty cradle
remembering gentle whispers and lullabies that used to
rock her to sleep

Too shy to speak about pleasures
drizzled with regret

Spars with maturity
to reclaim child-hood

The humming bird flutters
in reverse, she thought,
I cannot

moments of youth gather and
fall
into a sunken meadow of
stolen adolescence

brokenhearted,
waits for a ride home