Christina's World at Starbucks

There was the dark-haired girl by the window
The strawberry blond with freckles behind her
The brunette walking past me with an awkward gait
Upon reflection
Further examination revealed a permanently curled left hand
All of this she managed quite well
Good enough that only a poet would notice
I, too, have a limp
My soul is slightly twisted
Bent from years of fitting in
We all write stories of
Contortion that mar the smooth babies
We once were
I wish I had known her well enough or
Had been brave enough to ask
How her delicate blend of
Beauty, grace and deformity was born
What triumphs and failures
Have made her thus
So many nights I wiped away a daughter's tears
The soft sorrow nearly broke me
Thank god I was able to adequately lie
Don't worry, honey
It's OK
Everything will be all right
And the mystery of the lie
Is that it is also true
How can we be both liar and sage
How is it that we are both broken and whole
Only the angels know
How a painful limp can
Over time become
Such a beautiful walk

dg

12/3/11

Sent from my iPad
http://jdavidgamble.blogspot.com/