In honor of you
for color and texture
for rest assurance
for protection and nurture,
your endurance
for the purist form of affection
every lesson
every message
every one-on-one session
for the quiet times and dark clouds
every boo boo you sugar-kiss blew away
for every fault you’ve forgiven
every patience you had for my mistakes
for every scrape and skim
every eyelid moisturized with tears
every moment you had to fight for my forever
every second I stretched your capacity for understanding,
over all those years
for every argument
especially those that started with:
“I don’t know why I did it”
but always ended with you saying:
“I love you”
in spite of it,
whatever it is
for every particular and specific
that you paid attention to
for every vague and ambitious dream I had
that you paid attention to
for every out of my damned mind, preposterous idea
that you paid attention to
for the nights you went without
so that I always believed we had
for every example you gave of giving
so that I’d understand giving your last
for every piece of advice
that added up to produce the whole of me
for every time you were forced to lose your mind
just to take control of me
for the gift of being proud of my accomplishments
for self-awareness and integrity,
character traits that some people too often miss
for the discipline and structure
even when I ruptured the well of your trust
for the benefit of the doubt you afforded me
for the dust
that you brushed off my knees when I’d fallen
for every time you held my chin to your eyes
so that I’d know who to call when it happened again
for being more than I’d ever deserved in support
and being my friend
for your behind the door closed prayers
for you exposing me to humility
for you teaching me to never allow anyone to steal my joy
for you assuring me
for my self-esteem
for my beliefs
for being my relief
for setting the bar of which any after you must measure
for illustrating the value of virtue
and teaching me to seek that treasure
for the pressure
for pushing me out the nest
for being prepared that I might not pass the test
for catching me before the fall
for patting my back nonetheless
for expecting me to try again
no matter my brokenness,
helping me to fly again
no matter my hopelessness
for advise and wise counsel
for every ounce of strength
for every bucket of blood, sweat, and tears, you sacrificed
for your wish
that I’d realize my purpose
for you believing that I always had in me,
to be of service
for every shallowness you ignored from me
because you had faith beyond my surface
for every imperfect moment you had to endure
every challenge you had to face
every ambition you had to postpone
every groan you covered in grace
for every word and dollar you invested in me
for every petition, every plead, every please
for everything…

For every time you had to walk to a mirror
and look beyond what was there to see
for every time you had to close your eyes to imagine
any kind of life or living better for me
for every floor you’ve fallen to in prayer
for every wail you let out in despair
for every time you had to wipe away your sorrow
so that I wouldn’t see it or ever become aware

For all you’ve ever wanted
and all I ever be
for every smile I put on your face
just by being me
for the hurts, and the highs
for the laughter, and the lows
for the insurmountable amounts that I owe you
for whichever way it goes…

Thank you.

-see

©2014 Cornelious “See” Flowers
@seethepoet