To parents I extend my hand,
and hope in your life you have
found refuge and safety enough
in one community or other to…

Tell the truth.

To find a place that does not
judge or criticize us so much we
prefer not to speak is gravely
important, and hopefully yours—

For your children…

They, like you, need a safe net
under them when they try new
things, and I hope you’ve had your
fill, parents, that your can give

A safe haven for truth.

I myself had a large crush on a
beautiful eight year old named Anne;
but nowhere seemed safe with my
secret, and forty years later regret…

Is part of my daily routine.

That, and prayer, and indeed hope—
for nothing much is set in stone,
the universe bending toward justice
said the king, and all of that stuff.

Bend with me to hear me once more:
Tend to your life well, secure a safe
space if you have not yet one found.
For your children’s sake, and your soul

Late in life searching stars for the ground.