Bell Tower

Please do not become
another crushed sunflower
stepped on by the boots of
tragedy, or picked up by
a farmer's hands only to
be stripped of all your petals,
in his desperate search for love
in the answers you can yield.

Please do not become
a hollow frame of the woman
you are. You are a bell
tower full of ringing words
and a woodland brimming
with ferocious life,
because when you light up,
you're not easily put out.

Please do not become
the bird in the coo coo clock,
the rag doll left in the attic
to collect dust with the rest
of your childhood dreams,
never touched by loving hands
or held by inviting arms.
Please.

Your heart is too glorious
to be quiet.