for Gillian
first you stop
even the rocking and the soothing,
rhythmic swinging
meant to calm your racing thoughts.
you can begin again, but first
stop just for a moment
and remember
what it feels like to be still.
then you catch your breath
not with nets or traps or force
but patiently, with gentleness
coax it to you. earn its trust.
honor its wildness, its shyness
and its willfulness.
let it call out, like to like,
to your still-untamed soul.
finally, the hard part, the letting go–
loose your hold on everything
that is not wildness or stillness.
let the bright world and its cares
slip from your tiny fingers.
let me gather all your worries,
for it is not my time yet.
let me hold you while you sleep.
poem (c) 2016 D. Ohlandt
please only reprint in entirety and with credit given
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