I want to be your caretaker
because all I want do is help you.
I want to be your bodyguard
and protect you from yourself.
I want to listen to my loved ones
and paint a portrait of what they see in me.
I want to do the same for you.
We don’t see the truth in a mirror;
we can’t see a reflection of our hearts.
I think our paintings would be beautiful
but I’m just a poet and all I’ve got are my words.
They are messages in bottles.
I cast them out into the sea.
The waves bring them back to me
when I feel stranded and alone.
They tell me it’s okay to tell the truth,
it’s okay to ask for help,
it’s okay to not be better yet,
it’s okay if you need more time.
Give yourself time.
It’s okay to lean on others.
It’s okay to share the weight.
So when my poetry has finished taking care of me
I return it to the sea
in hopes it would wash onto your shore
and you would find it comforting.
I use my words as a map
for me to follow when I’m hurting.
I uncover hope buried at the end.
I will give you directions.
I will lead the way.
I will carry you if you grow weary.
My poems are love letters.
They remind me to be patient with myself
and to be kind to others.
I hope they can do the same for you.
I want to write something
that would speak to you so loudly
it would silence any words
that was ever used to hurt you.
I know they repeat themselves
over and over again in your head.
I want to shout over them.
I want to be the hand that picks you up
and dusts you off.
I want to wipe away your tears,
pat you on the back,
hold your hand tightly when it’s shaking.
I want to be your participation trophy.
You deserve something for trying so hard,
for giving your all.
I want to be salve on your skin.
I want soothe your pain
when you are aching to find relief.
The world has strung together words on to a bow
to use against us
but I believe that poetry
and all its honesty can heal the wounds they left behind.
They try and tell us that pain is a private matter,
that we should be ashamed of ourselves,
that our voices don’t need to be heard,
and I’m just a poet, but remember
it’s amazing what we can do with our words.