This is for anyone
who got into a bar fight with life recently

who walked on eggshells or thin ice
      or through fire
      so someone else wouldn’t have to
who did something grossly unreasonable
      or irresponsible
      and liked it
      and will do it again
who gave more than they received
who always will
      because they never learned how not to
who loved or tried to love
      as though the world depended on it
      (it does)
who felt more alive than dead
      and wasn’t ashamed to show it
who danced in the rain
      or cried in a closet
      or went mad in an attic
who realized there is no such thing as defeat
      or victory
      only the sweet sugar of struggle
      only the joy of perseverance
who skipped work or school or dates
      to sit somewhere listening to birds
who never needed an excuse or a reason
      to stand naked in the moonlight
who camped shivering on a mountainside for two weeks
      to watch a forest become a rainbow
who went to the ocean drowning in tears
      to come back cleansed and remade
      their skin full of saltwater and sunshine
who wandered under canopies of skyscrapers
      when trees were hard to come by
      and ended up better for it
who chased each glimmering moment with a butterfly net
      and bottled their laughter in mason jars
who slept on a bench
      or low in a ditch
      or anywhere
      just to be under the stars
who was more present than past or future
      and will always strive to be
who made it this far
who still feels ready to go further

this is for you and you and
     you

I just wanted to tell you
     that I love you
     more than you will ever know

that I hope you never stop being
     beautiful you