xxxiii
transitions and fractions
becoming the world
- a poem to my future child written by a past me (no parents, we are not pregnant)
my darling dear
my wobbling pup
the world is a place of danger and fear
the world is a place of ravage and cut
but don’t forget what brings you near
because the distance is the worst of it
so remember when you can’t
and remember when you won’t
that kindness my dear is an antidote
do not forget the power of kindness
do not forget the power of kindness
and the world will want to be you
and the world will fear your heart
and the world will be wanting
for you hope i
my darling dear
the confidence of kindness
be kind to neighbors
be kind to friends
be kind to jack and jill and jens
be kind to bugs
be kind to spiders
be kind to things that scare or despise us
such as it is
it’s a battle to care
it’s a battle to kind
it’s the battle that’s life
it’s the battle of mind
it’s a battle to dare
so you’ll have to be better
and you’ll have to be brave
you’ll have to be there
when the herd is there scared
and you will be hurt
and you will be taken
and you will be sifted and bruised and forsaken
the world will be jealous
the world will dismiss
the world will contrive
but the world will feel this
that the worst of it all is the distance
so don’t forget what brings you near
that the nearness you feel is the nearness most dear
and our hiding
from our others
and our hide form ourselves
with the thoughts of our weakness
and our visions of fend
in the hope of our safety and hope of our strength
make delusions a’many
and delusions that sink
be kind to the world
and be kind without fear
be kind with yourself
and be kind with what’s near
be kind to the world
my dear darling dear
and you will become its marvels
we are confronted with insurmountable possibilities.
Walt Kelly