your heart can bloom
note to self

the most important lesson
you’ve learned—your
heart can bloom wide
a dinnerplate dahlia
oh, dear one
tend it with care

cuddle the broken thing
by the side of the road
be present as breath leaves
protect the fledgling that
fumbles first flight
watch it catch the
next eddy and soar

that range—
racking grief that rends
you apart, warm gratitude
spilling to overflow
rage that skins you raw
the backbone to forgive—
all held in a heart that blooms

2022 ©Amrita Skye Blaine
I’m writing a poem a day. These are drafts—not final versions.