Love Poem: On Becoming
Sheila Henry Avatar
Written by: Sheila Henry

On Becoming

I arrived clothed in sheer veil
from whence I came I soon forgot
It’s a girl… they cheered!
I was surrounded by smiling faces of loved ones
waiting to unteach all I already knew.

My eyes opened to beauty
and my ears to unfamiliar sounds all around
from left, to right, backwards and frontwards
my heart filled with desire to discern what
has already been predetermined
I sought to unfold meaning
of all things seen and unseen
a discovery with every glance
the journey self driven
to expand and find purpose.

Everything a wonder
as I touched, smelled and felt
my way into existence
seeking the depth of self
I sensed LOVE
at its utmost level
through every pore
of my being
the warmth of which
flowed through arteries and capillaries
that I may survive
this LIFE I claimed.

My awakening sprung
in the silence.
I sprouted roots
and my soul grew taller
I saw myself
moving amidst tubers
with large heart shaped leaves
reaching upward
toward the light
always expanding and
magnifying self.

Transfixed by nature’s beauty
I encountered peace
and oneness watching things grow
I admired the silvery moon
sometimes full, sometimes new
I watched it work at night
awestruck to see how it gave light
to brighten our dark streets
and how it beamed
so nocturnals could scavenge the night
In my curiosity
I looked for the man
who they said lived there.

Armed with such
the difference between
right and wrong
good and evil
that’s written in the GOOD book
and etched in stone
rules they told me to follow
and the Church says
in Latin have faith
and trust the Divine
a lesson
to prepare for my human
experience
On Becoming a beacon of light
for others to follow.

And when I rested
weary from play
I sowed dreams
in the realm of darkness
and around galaxies.
I starred in unfamiliar dimensions
with underground aliens
who knew my name.

Here In my dreams
I recognized my personal reality
I was connected with all things
and everything was miraculous
sunlight beamed brighter than bright
and I soared with butterflies
as they flew around and above me
the souls of my ancestors
perched with pride upon their wings
watching me grow
my reality is yet to come
as life unfolds in different stages
with different experiences.