Elana Shae On Your Shoulders

[On Your Shoulders]

Elana Shae

The swing of your steps Rocked me gently As I sat On your shoulders Like a tuft Swaying on the back Of a dandelion. My fingers laced together Around your neck, Knitting themselves Into a knot Woven from my fear of falling, But you never let me go.

I can’t remember you very well. I hear your echoes In the music you left behind And the stories Others tell me. But I can still recall Your hair, Soft against my cheek As you carried me And I dug my face into your locks.

Maybe that’s a good way To remember you; The person I could Rest my head on, Knowing

You would hold me steady, Support me When I needed you to.

I’ve had to carry on since, But it isn’t all bad. I’ve found more people Who lift me up And I’m figuring myself out Piece by Beautiful, Bright Piece.

I look at the world With eyes That find the charm In an old Martinelli’s bottle And the love In a shared meal.

I walk through life Putting one foot In front of the other, Like you did As I sat On your shoulders.

In that way, no matter where My feet take me, You’ll still be here With every step, The dandelion stem Watching its tuft Float With the current of a breeze, Sail up To the sky, And find their place with the clouds. 125