I’ll Be Your Refuge

A Poem

Photo by J W on Unsplash

Your first cries trembled,
Like the earth during a quake,
And I held you close,
Heartbeat to heartbeat,
Like we were the only two in the world.

Your first scrape burned,
The tears collecting in your eyes,
And I kissed away the pain
While you giggled, ticklish,
Forgetting how much it hurt.

Your first nightmare hitched
Your breaths in soft gasps,
And I put a blanket over you
Till the aftershocks dissipated,
Leaving you to sleep soundly again.

Your first day of school came so fast,
Your hand in mine the whole way,
And I said I’d be there in an instant —
But you let go of my hand,
Seeing your friends in the distance.

Your first heartbreak seared,
Your room locked to any entry,
And I heard you crying through the door,
So I sat for hours and hours
Just waiting for the moment you needed me.