Unbirthday

I unwrap the morning

pulling the ends of silken dawn-bright ribbons,

weaving the light of them into my hair.

Dust twinkles in window-crossed sunbeams,

confetti falling gold and glittering.

The day is frosted with the sweetness of smiles,

the butter of hugs whipped

with raw, crystalline kisses

from sugar-laced lips.

I light a candle,

the spark of wishes stitched into the smoke,

curling off the edges of the flame

that burns with embered hope.

In the glow

I find the present,

joy hiding between coffee and crumb,

not in the moment,

but in the choosing of it.

Participant's Poems