& in the fragrance of yesterday I'll bow my head in humility to pay respects to the child that roamed free.

For she was a mischievous character who tended to nature, heeding the wind's call.

She was a ferocious mine, eager to answer the precarious pondering of mental illness and abandonment.

She was confused because she was young and couldn't handle such complexity.

She found solace in lavenders.

A scent that rooted her in spirituality and happiness.
A scent that reminded her of happiness and rebirth.
A scent that provided her refuge from the uncertainty of life.
A simple embrace from the mystic himself.
A simple flower carried her through tedious transitions and remained a stable symbol in her ever shifting life.

Bowing her head in humility she prepares to transition into the next chapter of her life.

With a humble heart I tread forward.

Onto a new state, a new journey, a new chapter.

Nationally we rejoice at the drop of the sun,
Sending explosives that dazzle the skies in parotic hues,
Silenced are the fears of the weary who cower in the corners of oppression and differential treatment,
Misjudged are the BIPOC who do not mirror the sentiments of the majority,
Forgotten are the fallen who lie in unmarked tombless foregrounds, Be cautious of the realities faced by the neighbors hidden in solitude, Be mindful of the friends who decide to stay indoors,
Be compassionate for our nation is hurting,
Though mass media may have muffled their cries,
Their lived experiences echo at an amplitude regarded by the awakened.

Graceful is her stride as she treads through the journey of life,
Peace lies within as she harbors solace among the mayhem,
Organic affection towards the world unbound she travels through the myriad of phases,
Embracing the unknown and entrusting the sovereign she persists fearlessly,
Effortless charisma engulfs her trance,
She is a woman warrior,
Defying the odds and living her ancestors dreams,
A raw glory to be seen.

Coasting along the interstate the sun trickles down the horizon,
Bleeding into the land darkness casts its cloak on the land,
Moonlit fantasies decorate the skies as she shifts her gears to surge ahead,
Euphoria of the ride engulf her mind's eye - matching heaven's every stride,
An endless wanderer,
Lost in the journey's mayhem.

Beyond the eye can see is where my beloved waits for me,
Amid my despair he guides me everywhere,
Casted into this realm of mortality I dance with my sins,
Seeking to cleanse my accounts and embark on the journey within,
I sit in prayer,
I uplift in meditation,
I transcend the arbitrary.

Departures casted in moonlight decorate her heartbreak,
Feverish realizations settle,
A forgotten union dismantled at sunrise.

A full rotation.
Another year cycles by marking your arrival,
You entered this world with uncertainty and lived it gracefully,
You had mishaps along the way that formed you into the being you are today,
Further you propel into the vast,
Beaming with wisdom more than the year last,
Blossom forevermore on your birthday oh soul,
You are a speck of the divine,
A true marvel to witness.