Homing Dove

Let me be a homing dove for you.
Let me find you with a sprig of green
When all you see is blue,
And let me fly into the war of your mind
To symbolise the end of the storm.
Let me appear in the dead of night,
White feathers visible by the moonlight,
To show you where the sun has gone.

Let me follow you wherever you may go.
You can take the ribbon around my foot at any time,
To catch me, to feed your starving family,
And I promise you, I won't mind.
... And still, I know, and trust that you would not harm me.
I believe in you. You are a dear friend of mine.
And perhaps, someday, you might catch that ribbon,
But only so that I may guide you home.

Let me stay with you in times of despair.
Let me hand you a fragile, downy white feather
To even lend your body the slightest warmth which it can.
Let me sit upon your shoulder and coo hope into your ear.
Let me guard your path of breadcrumbs from the blackbirds,
With my own white wings to brush away the darkness.
Let me follow you deep into the woods,
And nest in the tree above you as you sleep.

Let me be someone who you can trust to stay
No matter how windy the skies may get.
Let me listen to the things which hurt you.
Let me help to heal a broken heart.
Let me try to part the clouds with my fragile wingbeats.
Let me sit atop the roof of your shelter,
Leaving a trail of white feathers for you to follow
Like soft snow resting on the path.

Let me fly between you and those who look to hurt you.
Let me stare them in the eyes unafraid,
Until they back away, and you are safe.
Let me stay with you as you learn your hardest lessons,
And then to be a comfort to you as you cry,
To slowly soothe the pain, leaving only the learning behind.
Let me sob with you as you watch the world fall apart,
And carry you the sticks with which to rebuild your home.

Let me be what I know that I am and have always been -
Fragile, and yet unafraid to face what you must face.
For when I fall from my own, cracked, shattered sky,
You catch my broken body and make me whole once more.
Let me stay with you as you wander, hopelessly lost,
For I am hopelessly lost without you.
Let me bring a smile to your face as I fly,
For it is for your smile every time that I spread my wings.

... if you will not let me follow, that is fine.
I will watch you from a distance, as you reach for your stars.
I will still feel joy for every time you smile,
Even if you do not wish for me to cause it.
And if you want for me to go, then I will not hate you for it.
Just know that if you turn behind, when you feel lost,
And all you need is for a little guiding light,
You'll see a tiny dot, high above you in the sky...
And then when you look back forward, a trail of feathers to home.