A World We Appreciate Poem by Angie M..

I was inspired once,
Just to try to understand her,
what she knew, or didn't know
and why.
Then I was inspired to try to teach her to communicate,
following her guide
and she guided me.

I came to know in the winter,
(as I watched her little fingers
lifting sheets of ice along the shore,
the cold, moist, river on her tongue,)
that she thirsts for a world that will fascinate her, like all children do.

I realized this spring,
(as she wandered to find favored leaves,
and lined them up along the pine wood blocks
that fence in her favorite playground)
that she has an imagination I'm only flipping through.

I understood when she guarded her creation,
(dipping her feet in pieces of shredded tire,
then picking them from in-between her toes,
as other children scuttled past in games of tag)
she too wants a place in the world...

and I'm proud of her,
She doesn't scream anymore
when I pick up a leaf from her collection to admire it,
just sends me a glance of appreciation
when it's replaced.

The other day, I couldn't help but think
as she striped old grey paint chips off the backyard barn,
then turned to me with a mischievous smile, pretending
she was going to eat them...
and giggled when I casually looked away,
she seems to now know me in a depth, as I know her.

I'm inspired today to try to understand her
and to entice her to communicate,
grateful to learn from her,
as she guides me, giving hope,
feeling as though we're on our way.