For my lovely, strong tiger girl.

she cannot be held

in the words

on the page

her voice is too big

her heart is too open

her spirit, too vast

I think she holds the secrets of the universe

in her kind heart

in her lush smile

in her sweet hands

her eyes dance

she defies confinement

my lovely, strong tiger girl

she has seen too much

she has felt it all

the wounds

they run deep

and the scars

will take time

to heal

she has journeyed to the darkness

battled it

breathed it

come out from the other side of hell

and she smiles

lovely

strong

a warrior

a tiger

my lovely, strong tiger girl

wanting to share her joy

learning to love

herself

and us

and the world

again

unconditional

she knows what she wants

in five minutes

but she cannot know

that she touches us

heals us

mends our hurts

with her magic words

my lovely, strong tiger girl

life tried to break you

and you

laughed

and

you healed us

instead

triumph.

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Editor: Catherine Monkman

Photos: elephant archives