Solemnly I was born a fresh canvas to the world
That knew me not
I bore a secret unknown to the rest,
A secret not ominous but instead
of laughter and phantoms.

I truly was never
Aware of the imprint I would burn
Into the souls of my friends.
The fire that bore within,
The fire that left the outline of love,
Began its journey in a distant land,
Crafted by the heavenly Father for me.
And as his hands molded me,
He scooped ashes from the fire to cushion my heart,
He took embers from the flames to lighten my eyes.

As a child,
I grew up in a home with flower crowns,
Warm hugs,
And mountains of laughter.
As I walked on in life,
My goal was to continue placing crowns of flowers on my peers.
To make a difference in hearts of many,
To make up for the hatred of the few.

All that any could say,
I would hope,
Is that my heart beat to the drum of love.
My heart survived with the fire of friendship and laughter.
Laughter that lasted
And rang years after my body has rotted away.