a fiercebird poem written December 2020-----
a child who has someone they can trust will
hurl themselves off the edge of a cliff
with complete confidence
they will be caught
they don’t study and calculate it all out
measuring distance, velocity,
height or depth of the fall;
they leap
children who know the one they trust
will abandon all reason
all logic to zealously chase
after the prize
the trusted one has promised
they don’t speculate on risk
or appearance
or reputation or
what’s proper
they follow their heart’s desire
with reckless abandon
as adults we develop
whole systems and criteria
to rid children of this
unleased mind-set
we leash them
restrain them
and teach them constraint and etiquette
are more righteous than disruptive creativity
and unrestrained blissful joy
we tell them the kingdom is earned
by proper behavior
clean and tidy clothes and
smudge free faces
we’ve been wrong
it’s time
time to search out that child within
speak courage over that child
to trust themselves again
to trust their heavenly PaPa
who put the wild and unrestrained
and bold within them
to blurt out the desires of their heart
at the top of their lungs
in the middle of the crowded sidewalk
if that’s where they are at this moment
to believe their heavenly Papa
has always loved and cherished them
dances over them
no matter how unruly the judges have
sentenced them to be
and believe PaPa desires to run
and does run with them
touching everything they see
Jesus prayed this prayer,
“O Father, Lord of heaven and earth
Thank you for hiding these things from those
Who think themselves wise and clever,
And for revealing them to the childlike.
Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way!”
Matthew 11:25-26
