Never Out of the Crucible

She was small,
small nose,
small toes,
full of wonder
full of fear
the darkness of her world
all she ever knew
and she chose gentleness

she was 4 years old.

She was a little bigger,
she played in the forest
with her grandfather
learning from the spirit folk
who helped him teach her
who showed her always
and only love
only light

she was 5 years old.

She was the crossing guard at school,
and the neighbor boys attacked
with knives,
this was nothing new,
but the venue was unusual
she stood her ground,
power rushing through her body
righteous rage expresses itself
in the crossing flag staff
meeting foolish teenage flesh
as she says with calm detachment:
I AM THE CROSSING GUARD!  DO NOT THREATEN MY SAFETY.

she was 9 years old.
she was fierce, and up til then,
had carefully harmed none.

She was a pacifist at core,
and she still is today
                        . . . or so they say.

She trained,
she trained,
she trained
      in the Flower Warrior's ways
long long ago
and for a long long time

adopting for her lifetime
their priniciples

that the only battle won is the one
which ends with a new friend
and no blood spilt
on either side
to badly paraphrase
                 for a modern audience

Never start a fight
always end one

Be just in every action
     (or as her papa always said)
                 always be in right relation
                         always be a helper
and oh
so very much more

she endured the hell of living
among men

she was 43 when she awoke
and remembered the forest friends
of her childhood

of her precious grandfather's lessons
of her deepest truth
and purpose

she is 46.

and according to some,
she is magnificent

according to herself,
she is still a child,
learning how to human
for the first time.