these are the truest, kindest, most sincere words I ever wrote

I found you

in a strange dark woods

woods of questioning

what is truth?

what is love?

what is enough?

what is right or wrong?

what are the rules to being loved,

to being safe?

i found you as a child

asking questions that never were answered

questions that are difficult to answer

questions that are dark and sharp and rough, with giant spikes twisting around on all sides

My father used to ask me the same things

he asked me to write an essay about it

he asked me because he didn’t know how to love. He asked me if I knew

I travelled the world and brought him things. I changed myself so I would be kinder, stronger, smarter, braver, more loving

he said it was all wrong

finally, I stopped and just hurt about it

and gave him my broken heart.

he ignored me completely

so boy, in the woods,

that is all I have for you

the story of my search

and a deafening silence