I love
My daughter
In ways
The world
Doesn’t have
Words for
I love her
Like breath
Like heartbeat
Like something
My soul
Remembers
Before I was born
I love her
In the quiet
The kind
That settles
On a man’s chest
When he realizes
His purpose
Has a name
I love her
In the loud
The laughter
The stubbornness
The way she walks
Like she owns
Every room
She steps into
I love her
In the moments
She’ll never see
The nights
I stayed awake
Just listening
To her breathe
The mornings
I whispered
A thank you
To whatever (God)
Kept her safe
I love her
In the ways
She saved me
Not with effort
But by existing
By being
The one thing
I couldn’t lose
Without losing
Myself
I love her
In the future
In the woman
She’ll become
In the strength
She’ll carry
In the storms
She’ll outgrow
And if she
Ever doubts herself
I hope she knows
This truth
I loved her
Before she spoke
Before she walked
Before she knew
What love was
And I’ll love her
Long after
My voice
Is only something
She hears
In her heart