perhaps

you might choose

to wrap yourself up in hope

swaddle the small, tender thing

that you have told yourself

will live

you have made a choice to believe that it has life

sing it a lullaby

even if you have to make up your own words

give yourself this

even if you were never given what you needed

what you asked for

you are here now

inside your very own skin

this is all yours

watch it as it falls asleep inside your bones

then go and do the same

tomorrow has not breathed yet

and yesterday

is well and truly dead

no matter how hard you try to make it

today

it will not be renamed

open your hands

let it go

rest

here

all of you is held.

© Liezel Graham 2021.