You taught me how to run through fields,
Barefoot, arms in the air,
Head thrown back to watch the sky spin.
I taught you how to love the rain,
The smell of the rain, the wet pavement,
The satisfying plops as it hit the roof.
You taught me how to dance a new dance,
Dressed up in ballet tutus and pointe shoes,
Moving our feet to the beat of music in our heads.
I taught you how to sit still as a statue,
Motionless but for the smile quivering on your lips,
So I could paint your portrait.
You taught me how to be wild and free,
Breathing the cold, fresh night air
As we walked, unafraid, outside in the dark.
I taught you how to notice the small things,
See life through different eyes,
Learn the value of a dewdrop, a whisper, a poem.