After awhile

After awhile, you learn the subtle
difference between holding a
hand and chaining a soul
and you learn that love doesn't mean
leaning and
company doesn't
mean security.
And you begin to learn that kisses
aren't contracts and presents
aren't promises, and
you begin to accept your
defeats with
your head up and your eyes
open, with the grace
of an adult, not the grief of a child, and
learn to build all your roads on
today because
tomorrow's ground is too
uncertain for plans, and futures have
a way of falling
down
in mid-flight.
After a while you learn that
even sunshine burns if
you get too much. Then
you plant your own
garden and decorate your own
soul, instead of
waiting for
someone to bring
you flowers.
And you learn that you
really can endure...
that you really are strong
and you really do have worth--
and
you learn and learn...
with every
goodbye
you learn.

Adam Richter