Rooted in the Storm

On nights like this,

The wind howls through branches,

A warning in the gusts,

Bending but not breaking.

In the distance,

A lone wolf calls,

Its voice swallowed by the sky’s

Weighty blackness.

I have always known

How to hold on tight—

To control the tremor of leaves,

To anticipate the strike of thunder,

To brace for what I cannot see.

But there was a time,

When I was just a seed,

Tucked in dark soil,

And the thought of the light

Terrified me.

The sun is sharp

And its reach, unforgiving,

But even then,

I knew I would grow.

I was a storm within myself,

Fighting roots that bound me,

Wishing for space to breathe,

Not yet knowing

That the wind would pass.

Now, I watch you—

The child I once was,

Wading through the rain,

With eyes full of wonder

And hands eager to touch

What I’ve been too afraid to see.

You don’t know yet,

That the sky will test you—

That the storms will come,

Not to break you,

But to help you stand taller.

In these quiet moments,

I find my strength

In the same way a tree

Finds its in the soil—

Rooted in what is unseen,

Loving the storm for what it offers.

I can’t always protect you,

But I can show you

How to stand,

How to bend but never snap,

How to grow through it all.

And when the clouds finally clear,

I will be here,

A forest of love,

Waiting for you to breathe,

To stretch your branches

And become everything

You are meant to be.