Bundle Me Up

In your fingers I feel like glass. Vulnerable

To the shakings and sharpness of life. In your fingers

I feel small, even though my sneakers

Make it obvious that I'm the taller one. In your fingers

I want to feel like a child. Bundle me up,

Tell me not to run in the street, and

Smile when I'm afraid to leave your side. Please worry

When I have been gone past supper. In your fingers

I feel young, like when I didn't know what loneliness was

Like when the future was more open than anxious. Please

Carry me up the stairs and tuck me into bed. In your fingers

I fit neatly. Bring your hand to your chest

And hold me tight against your heart. In your fingers

I am smooth-skinned, my elbows the hardest surface

On my body; in your fingers an arrow

Could slip through my skin like it could satin, so keep me safe.

Cup me between both palms and whisper nothings,

Like a gardner to their seeds,

And treat me like an egg within my shell. In your fingers

I lose my poise. I get nervous, so

Gently ease away the mike, and keep me silent. In your fingers

I just want to listen to your voice. Please

Tell me a story. I'll gather up every word

Until you say "Goodnight". In your fingers,

I might be able to sleep without dreaming. In your fingers,

I feel so ineffably safe.

Please, disregard my age. I know I turn

And adult, today, but in your fingers

I am still a child. Please

Bundle me up,

And smile when I'm afraid to leave your side.

XX---