in all our years together—two decades plus eight
i never said “thank you” for being constant and safe.
for this miraculous tangle of blood, skin and bone
this shelter for my heart, this home for my soul.
this flesh that can rupture, bruise and then heal
this lattice of imprints and imperfections revealed.
this face streaked with laughter and tears unabated
this frame that’s been tough yet frail and berated.
sometimes unsteady but always strong to endure
a bittersweet mural of both stories and scars.
body—you were resilient in spite of all my disdain
when i branded you a traitor, the root of my shame.
you are the warrior who fought to keep me alive
chest breathing, pulse beating and a will to survive.
i wanted to tame you and i ferociously tried
i ached just to separate, to denounce you as mine.
but you were a force, relentless, stormy and wild
you would not be conquered, outcast or exiled.
i made you the villain but no—you protect and defend
so for the first time: “thank you, my friend.”
