A Child Goes Forth

There was a child went forth every day;

And the first sounds she heard and the first objects she look’d upon she became;

And those things became part of her for the day, or a certain part of the day, or for many years, or stretching cycles of years.

The kindness of that tall old man became a part of this child

Warm chocolate milk and massive watermelon’s became a part of this child

The freedom gained from every leg pump, in a red and yellow swing became part of her spirit

And blended with an australian accent Spanish and English pieced together her new language

Metal in an outlet, and tiny burnt hands became a part of her learned lessons

And the sticky mickey mouse popsicles as well as the friendships in small companions,

And the lullaby that prompted desires to be “mammy’s picaninny”

And even the sound of Santana’s guitar all became a part of this child.

Her own parent’s,

Immigrants returning to the land that once was theirs

He that had encouraged her on, and she that had loved her so

They gave this child more of themselves than those things

The patience of the father, the colors in his speech, and the laughter in his look, became a part of their child

And the devotion of the mother, the endurance in her young bones, and the off octave tunes she sang, also became a part of their child

Sacrifice, pride, and pastel de tres leches all became a part of this child

Barbie movies, Lone Ranger marathons, movie soundtracks, and latin films from the 60’s,

The smell of hand sanitizer and the sound of piano keys learning to play all joined her evolution

And the summer sandwiches, lakes and painting projects,

Litters of kittens and lots of dreams

And the smell of lavender, the song of the morning meadow lark,

The fear of coyotes, the love of german shepherds, and the wondering of stars,

The new home, the new people, and the new name, all soon became a part of of this child

The multiplying library of music genres

And the multiplying confusion in math class

And the new found love for country music as well as classic corridos from the motherland

And the pages and pages of started but never finished novels,

With the awkward smiles, awkward smells, and awkward crushes,

The wisdom she carried and the wisdom she had yet to gain, these all became a part of the child

The absolute confusion,

The star team that had to start over,

Wrinkled schedules and the searching for a disappearing childhood

The realization of time’s unbroken promise to continue

And the four year fascination with a curly haired someone,

And the desire to learn more about her roots,

And the converse that treaded faithfully beneath her toes,

And those inside jokes that could no longer remain the foundation of a friendship

And the wisdom that kept her from things others fell for

As well as the ignorance that kept her from reaching her potential at times

The understanding that she was still a child, these all became a part of this child

The need for traditions to continue,

The learned practice of work and gain,

The sleepless nights and groggy days,

The technology that would help then destroy progress

The questions loved ones would ask that only raised more questions about her future,

And the pile of duties one must complete before June,

The innocent friend who roots for her success from behind unjust bars,

And the night the terrified child cried herself to sleep,

That same night that brought reality a knocking,

And brought fear of separation to haunt her mind,

The hand written letter that brought her peace of mind, as well as the hugs and words that made her regain her hope in Him,

The purpose of life and meaning of living the child within always understood,

All these things became a part of the child who went forth every day, and who now goes, and will always go forth every day.