Before We Understand

When a child is young
and careless, they don’t understand
the words I love you.

They may know them,
say them back,
or understand that it’s what
Mom and Dad say.
But they don’t understand its weight.

Until they grow older
and are faced with mountains,
they still won’t know
what it means.

They won’t understand
the burden of a hug
or what it means
to not say goodbye,
but to wait until the day arrives.

As they grow older,
they will know
that I love you is pure—
something you tell someone
you can never let go of.

And the hug before leaving
might be the last physical touch.

You may never see
that person’s eyes again.

And we don’t say goodbye
until the last of our days,
because if we did,
we would feel the fear
of leaving that person
and going home
just to worry about them.

When someone is young,
nothing holds much weight.

But as you get older,
the earth shakes
and falls onto your shoulders
with all the things
you didn’t know were important
until you grow into
the moments
that teach you
what they meant.