for the soft boys
since i don’t know when
folks be tellin’ all my
soft boys
to grow up.
to be hard men.
before they’re even
born
before they even know
their rites
of passage
to all my little deer who
mix it up and buck
the system
shapeshifting it as yin
and blend
and yang then
back again
i send you
soft touch fingertips on
napes of necks
palms searing deep into
shoulders
to take you back to love
relaxed
this life is hard enough
and it will shape you
into your own
unique stone
you’ll be softened by
wind and water and
motion
i know your heart is
your magic lantern
i know your mind and body
soul and hands
will light your way.
soft morning sunlight
hard light and afternoon
i tuck you in under
blankets of moon
jmj 12/30
