Thriving

i think i am

so much of

my problems

spooning gruel

into their hungry mouths

constantly handing them

ribbons + trophies

when i should be

sitting on their chests

with pillows over their faces

smothering cries

that become muffled whimpers

+ then nothing but silence

when i sit in silence

well rested + fed

with my own

small compliments

heaped in my lap

i flourish

like bougainvillea

that rustles in the breeze

outside my window

pink + plentiful

confident

without comparison

thriving in the heat

of a purifying sun