“I said it before (though perhaps with less grace)
and I’ll say it again:
I want to take the messy parts of you in
like small children, like stray dogs.
Kiss them on the mouth, give them a place to stay.
I can’t believe there are bits of you, at your age,
that are still too young to know
that they are worth taking care of.
If you don’t want to look in the mirror, that’s fine.
We will cover every piece of glass in the house.
We will drape sheets across the bathroom walls
and only drink out of coffee mugs;
but I am still going to marvel at the blessing of your face
at my kitchen table.”