New

Today,
I shed a tear,
For that child
Who shivered,
Cold in her shoes,
Lanky in her clothes,
Terrified in her errors.

Today,
I shed a tear,
For the parents,
Who, in their hurry,
To protect their child
From what the world could
Do to her, forgot what they could.

Today,
I told myself,
That tears can forge
Bonds, chains of reactions,
That we set in motion every day,
Or dissolve, dissolve, dilute and cut
What would otherwise bind you for life.

Today,
I left that child
Far behind in the past,
With unforgiven parents,
And decided it was finally time,
To embrace adulthood, however lonely,
And this here, now, this moment, I am new.