Note to a 3-year-old Friend

Dear Graciela,

Today I had the
really, if I think about it,
unfathomable blessing of spending
three hours with you
you who came through two of
the dearest friends life's given me
Nicholas and Emily

Graciela at 7 months

All of what you came to share
would splinter specks of light
to fill a thousand suns
and blind me
in this moment
if I looked

As it stands, the way you ask
"Tia can I wash dishes with you?"
at three, pulling up a chair
beside me at the sink,
soaping up the small plastic yellow spoon
"Tia can you hold this so I can rinse?"
"Be careful with Mommy's glass..."

Shy with hellos and goodbyes
you say "I'm here"
with your eyes
and tell the truth when
Mama comes home from her new haircut
blue feather braided into black hair
"Mama I can't see it!"

Truth from a 3-year-old's soul
three just on Earth
this time around
Infinite, by all other means

I assure you, passionate little angel
what you came here to
teach us, your parents, passersby, me
is being heard.

Our hearts sometimes shudder with the sound
as you shake our comfort zone reality
with the wisdom of beyond our eyes
and sometimes it will seem like
nobody is listening
our heads so far perched above
the child's
perfect presence horizon

But I promise
on some level
Your love is landing
voice of a dream bird
singing our dream song
Young friend,
your love is landing.

-Tia