Loving The Odd Child

 

The everyday child needs socks and

sandwiches, her hair combed, yes

and time to play, people to love.

The everyday child needs constant care

from you

so keep her warm and kindly

sheltered, nourished, held.

 

But it’s caring for the odd one,

which makes us whole again, after long confusions, blundering

and wishing she was normal.

 

Love that little odd child,

and you will flower

in unexpected ways, veering off the path

that others gave you,

to carve new and tender

territory in the mysterious, dark wood.

 

Give that little odd child what she needs:

a softer lamp light, all day at the zoo,

art supplies for breakfast, an early exit

from the loud party.

 

Maybe she wants things you think

are strange.

But just believe in her, let her hold those

tiny tree frogs, let her climb down

off your lap

to gather strange objects, her weird collections…

 

Her need for books, her fear of people

crushing plants, her awkward dislike

of your friends, her terribly low

pain threshold.

 

Gather each of these up in time,

and kiss them.

Then put them down in front of her, loved.

This is the new path, taking you away

from normal and towards your SELF.

 

Towards the life you deeply long for,

towards the odd work, the odd lover,

the odd house.

 

You were afraid that if you gave into her,

there would be no end to it,

and that is true.

 

For the odd child

is a wild and tempting Shamaness,

who given an inch will rise up

dancing and gather you

in her arms and sing

her throaty off key melodies,

as she

winds her way through the wood and steps

into her odd place in the bright and peopled world.

 

There she will shift the balance in some small and significant way,

that only she can understand.

 

Having changed you

so completely into yourself

 

she is unafraid    to reinvent    the world.