Life is like a package
placed in our cupped hands,
wrapped in festive paper,
tied in matching ribbons
we unravel first.
Heartbeat increases
from excitement
of what we’ll find.
We lift the lid,
peek inside,
but unlike paper,
recyclable,
the gift of life
cannot be tossed back
into the universe.
No spare awaits
on the sidelines.
The contents
require tenderness,
but first lies a set
of instructions
unique to the recipient,
as visible as
a red rose in
a garden of daisies.
If those guidelines
are followed
with gratitude, bravery,
and tenacity,
the purpose of our gift,
so delicately given,
will come as naturally
as the moon on a night,
deeper than the deepest sea.

Lauren Scott (c) 2022