On gentling:

On Gentling

You know it’s interesting

my whole life, all the adults said

“Don’t be so hard on yourself,

Little Miss Yaney.”

But nobody ever said,

“be gentle.”

Nobody ever handed me

A soft skinned map

Or guide

Or even model

On how to go gently with ourself

They simply told me what not to do.

Maybe that’s the best they had

Or any of us had

But I think it’s high time

That I start doing better

For me, for my little girl

That still resides within

And for them, the next generation

Of little children

Who are already worthy because they exist

Or will by then.

That is, the time that I become aligned,

and can

Start to show these generations

Of inner and outer children

how to befriend

and be present

To represent themselves lovingly.

Amen.