Sin Zapato

I begin this new day-year-decade with a vow
to the girl I’ve only just met
and whose voice I’ve only just heard
to keep her from stalking her past for proof
that she matters today
to gently turn her gaze from the carnival behind her
and the storm of self-doubt above her
back to the bright reflection of her own truth
and the promise of change in each moment.
I begin with a vow
to honor her story
her power and her presence
exactly where she stands
anywhere and everywhere she stands
in every thought, word, deed
and breath.