She bends
never breaks
she stretches
and sweeps
with willowy grace
she leaps
and contracts
then she twirls
she falls to the ground in obvious anguish
and then lunges into the sky
where the world brings her down
pulling her back to the Earth
holding her in its orbit
suffocating her
until one day she takes a flying leap
into the sky
where her wings take her
higher and higher
until no one can touch her
and she is her own universe
her own sun, and moon, stars
her very own laugh, smile, tears
and still she is my Emily.
bending, and stretching
sweeping, leaping
and holding her head high