Light Reflected

   ❊

   When I scritch your belly and sing the song of you, I smell the summer air at my Aunt Vickys Cabin

I hear boats off in the distance

I hear my cousins trickling feet scatter across the yard in search of worms

No stone unturned

I sense the panoramic view of a lake, a cabin, laughter, and foolishness that found their way into the underbelly of a moment that a kid only knows to be infinite

   ❊

   When you look back at me with your deep brown eyes just to ensure my presence, I see myself looking around for the mother I couldn’t find

Except I meet your gaze and I see the micro adjustments of your face finding peace

I feel the radiance of your heart

Suddenly, I am on a patio chair eating Weight Watcher chocolate muffins, curled up in a blanket

I smell composting leaves and lake water

The woodsy air would always mark the feeling of being loved by my Aunt Suzanne

Her red hair, glasses and artsy outfits only manifestations of her brightness

So fun and inviting

Vaulted ceilings, modern furnishings, yet love in every corner

The cranny I found myself curled into at night, found a forehead kissed, a prayer recited, and the promise of good dreams

I was seen

My lonesome heart wringed that towel for all it was worth, and I got better sleep than I’d had since the last time I slept in that oak tree escape

   ❊

   When I kiss you on the forehead and ask if you want food, your ears lift up with curiosity

Your brown eyes find light reflected, twinkling as the stars do

Your forehead crinkles

Your neck lowers to the question just enough to sing peaceful songs to all who listen to their bodies

I find myself right where I am

Somehow feeding you nutritious food, three times a day, is the most important task I'll ever enact

Feeding you is the most noble achievement

Your healthy and foregoing body is the highest accolade I could ever receive

Your crinkly forehead and twinkling eyes that don’t beg, but simply say I’d appreciate the fuel to continue existing