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I Came Upon a Stray

I came upon a stray, malnourished and wounded;
Somebody had broken her heart and left her alone and scared—
Maybe it wasn’t the first time, but I had to earn her trust
In order to help her understand that it was okay
To be who she is in spite of all the problems,
The darkness, the pain, the confusion and doubt.
I nursed her broken heart, tended to her wounds,
Nurtured her appetite for reassurance and support,
And comfortable in my company—I, happy in hers—
A beauty once forgotten had been discovered again.
When she found another who showed her much affection
I did not let my jealousy turn me inside out,
But rather I wished her well and let her go free
To do as she pleased in spite of all the problems,
The darkness, the pain, the confusion and doubt
That may resurface in her and may resurface in me.
Malnourished and wounded, I came upon a stray
And nobody ever said that doing the right thing was easy.