Thanks for Being Lovely

Thanks for being lovely,
for letting me hear
what it's like in your shoes.
Thanks for being lovely,
for the way your hand feels
on the small of my back
while we're falling asleep.
Thanks for being lovely,
for curling up on the loveseat
and asking for what you want,
for pulling your chair closer
and the tears that welled up
in your eyes.
Thanks for being lovely
and for taking the time
to write together,
for looking in the mirror
and saying something loving
to your lovely self.
Thanks for being lovely
in a world that defines loveliness
so narrowly, missing out
on ten thousand kinds of beauty.
Thanks for being lovely, you
friend, you daughter, you lover,
you companion, you angel,
you son, you stranger.
Thanks for being lovely
and not hiding the hurt places
the valleys where you walk
alone.
Thanks for being lovely
meaning real, meaning kind,
meaning brave, meaning honest.
Thanks for being lovely
for stepping into the present moment
even when you're afraid.