I See You

I see you, writers,
bringing yourself to the page.

I see you, poets,
unshielded,
taking down walls,
breaking barriers,
and sharing pieces of yourself.

I see you, Glenda,
in your words,
your wisdom, and
your wit. You amaze.
You inspire. Thank you.

I see you, Anna,
celebrating brothers,
celebrating verse, and
celebrating others. You embolden.
You spark. Thank you.

I see you, Michelle,
taking in NYC,
through a window, and
writing beautiful words. You shine.
You impress. Thank you.

I see you, Jennifer,
sharing your words,
in verse and prose,
in nurturing comments. You hearten.
You motivate. Thank you.

I see you, Donnetta,
writing in Texas and
lending your gift
to the page, for us. You influence.
You shine. Thank you.

I see you all,
Stacey and
Mo and
Susie and
Shaun and
Allison and
Alexa and
Malachi and
Paige and
Robin and
Denise and
Gayle and
Kim and
Margaret and
Padma and
Jennifer.

For all those named
and those I missed,
I see you all.

Unshielded,
taking down walls,
breaking barriers,
and sharing pieces of yourself.
I see you, poets.

Bringing yourself to the page –
I see you, writers.

And, I see you, Sarah,
creating spaces for words,
inviting others to be brave,
speaking to the writer
in each of us, leading the way,
encouraging us to embrace our
own sense of #verselove.

Thank you,
thank you,
thank you,
a million times,
thank you for showing
us how to stretch our wings,
so we too might believe
we can fly.