Like a River

Who wouldn’t want

The arms of

A poet

A healer

A seer

A sun god

Wrapped around her?

To be safe

Secure

Beautiful

Chosen

Filled with the promise of life?

Who wouldn’t?

Daphne.

Pursued by Apollo

She prayed to her river god father

To keep her

Out of Apollo’s reach.

Hearing her cry,

Peneus

Empowered her to become

The laurel tree

Forever.

And the sun god lifted her up

Sang her song

Healed his own broken heart

Ended her fear:

Made her story one of boundless

Imagination,

The kind we call love.