Thursday, June 19, 2008

When You Are Happy

I keep checking out the same book over and over again from the library and it keeps making my heart flutter and my eyes well... these words are so beautiful. I believe that they describe pure true love... the most innocent and lasting kind.

When You Are Happy
By: Eileen Spinelli

When you are sad,
I will hold you.
I will let you cry.

I will catch your tears
in a blue cup
and water the yellow flowers
and they will grow
more beautiful.

When you are cold,
I will weave you
a blanket
from leftover sun.

I will sing summery songs
for you until
my voice cracks,
and I will watch you
warmly
until I become
the firelight
dancing in your eyes.

When you are sick,
I will sit by your bed
quietly waiting
in case you
should want something-
warm soup, chamomile tea,
painted rainbows,
poems piled like pillows
around your head.

When you are lonely,
I will show up
on your doorstep
with my heart in
a basket.
I will whisper
"I love you"
until your loneliness
grows wings
and flies off
like a silken bird.

When you are afraid,
I will take your hand
and not let go-
except once
to borrow
one hundred tiny stars
to spell out the words:
You are safe.
They will shine above you
forever,
even in the darkest dark.

When you are tired,
I will say, "Come,
lie here in my lap.
Take a long nap.
But first, tell me
your sweetest dreams
so that I might lash them
into a tender raft
floating toward you
as you sleep."

When you are grumpy,
I will make you giggle.
I will wear a hat
made of cabbage leaves.
I will tickle myself
with duck feathers,
I will lift my shirt
and show you
my belly button
until your laughter
spurts
and gurgles
and spills like creek water
across the empty sky.

When you are lost,
I will search for you
with my lantern.
I will follow the tangled path
and find a way
when there is no path.
I will wear out my shoes
and a dozen little
rays of hope,
but...
I WILL find you!

When you are happy...
oh, when you are happy.
I will outleap the frog,
outbuzz the bee,
outwink the firefly.
I will twirl you
round meadows
until we are both
dizzy
and dazzled
and falling down
into our grassy heap
of joy.

When you are happy.

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