Blogger’s Note: Betsy was a high-school girl from our youth group in Michigan when we moved to Minnesota. She moved with us, lived with us, and took care of our kids while we settled in, located jobs and day care, and found our groove. She was wonderful, and we loved having her here. It’s been a long while since we’ve seen her, and we all miss her something fierce. She’s trying to come see us this fall – and that reminded me of this. It ain’t great, but she liked it.

she radiates
there is a light that breaks
like summer sunlight from her smile
that sparks — electric! — dancing
in the hazels of her eyes.
she radiates, and we are drawn,
moths to the bulb struck blind and dumb,
or wide-eyed children gazing at the
pop and crackle of her fire.
see it now? — just there! — like daybreak
rising pink upon her cheeks:
she’s reading this, it’s dawning on her
she is loved, like sunrise,
sunset, moon and stars;
like blood-relation, she is ours.
we’ll keep her close, a vigil flame
lighting the dark —
she radiates.

j. thorp
13 aug 2003