I Love You Because | Poem

And the porcelain child who
Stumbles, earnestly
Again and again
Like a gimpy bird
Struggling to take flight
(That bird WILL fly
I promise!)

The man in the basement whom
I suspect you like
A great deal more
Than you let on

The old man who
Won’t die because
He made a pact
With his wife

The fish you
Keep on a hook because
You like fishing

The fur balls who
Prowl through
The house when
You’re not looking

The wild girls who
Envy your steadiness
Even as you paw
At their chaos

And the babies whom
You would mind for free if
You didn’t need the money

I love you because
Of the way you are
With me. You’re
The mother
I never had
And I’m
The wildness you
Kept hidden for
Many years; sprung
Like a race horse in
You’re old age
Running, running
Covered in sweat
The mess you
Made of things because
You needed to be touched

Run
Straight through me
Strawberry Girl
And
Keep on running
Again and again
I love you
Because