They taught me to be alone
That my reflected eyes
Know how to hold me in compassion
Through the cool glass of a mirror
That my own arms
Could wrap around my ribs
Gripping the bones of my shoulders
As I unconsciously rock my body
To some forgotten and trusted rhythm
That my voice could murmur so quietly
From the depths within my throat
Sounding through the soft static in my ears
Where only I could hear these susurrations
Vibrating through my inner spirals
Yet, too many times
I left this place
To escape annihilation
That I became it myself
Lost to my own survival
Return me to my body
Each toe touching into the trust
Of earth and ground
Each breath opening my chest
To the consistency of the movement
Between time and stillness
Each finger holding my face up
To shine in the steady warmth
Of the sun dutifully returning each morning
I find this home within me
I create this and find it has always been
I fall to my knees in humble gratitude
Knowing that love and a gentle holding
Are always within me
