I Bequeath

I give to you the knowledge that you are not
a wounded bird, but rather a rising phoenix.
I pledge to you strength and courage
because I can’t give you a carefree life,
they don’t exist. I give you the reality
that nothing sustains itself indefinitely, not

pain nor joy. You are the writer of your story
you start each day fresh with a clean slate.
it’s up to you what you write, paint, or accept
on your page. I can’t promise you no mistakes
on that perfect paper but you can paint over it
the way you choose, either black or white,
or a hundred other colors in between.