Was born in West Texas soil,

shadowed and thorny,

Where warm roots should have been.

 

Regardless,

A resilient and gentle

One-of-a-kind species of sweetgrass,

bloomed and danced

in the sun for 32 years.

 

Trying to sprout and grow

in a world,

subdued in gray,

& everlasting seasons of cold, yet

her durable petals and resilient soul,

colored the dusty mountains with

a peculiar shade

of seafoam green,

brilliant blends

of beauty and gold.

 

A daughter of

majestic moons and tender night.

A sister to

the outcasts, those who didn’t belong,

who sought the trace of a face who didn’t look away,

she was their reassuring light.

Earthly flowers which guide

the wandering and alienated,

back to belonging,

warm soil, a new home.

 

A lover of all color,

from silent shades,

pale lights, a

darkened,

summer sun,

orange autumn nights.

A bountiful dancer,

with limbs long and sweet,

Tattooed rolling shoulders,

tapping muddy feet.

Reason and rhythm,

wisdom that shined in the sun,

Imagination that sparkled

like the stars in the night.

 

An imagination liberated

from family, society’s,

gaze and judgmental eyes.

Untangled the webs,

Fought through the thorns,

to forge her own

roots and mind.

 

A myriad of magical moments

came to all who knew her.

How our eyes gleamed so bright,

thunderous laughter reverberated

all through the night sky. Forever

Our friend,

our lover,

our mentor,

our muse,

our artist,

our poet, yet,

she was born into a world

in which she suddenly had to leave.

 

Her last breath on this Earth,

the sky opened and cried,

the winds howled in protest

throughout that stormy May night.

But when we need to find her,

She’ll still be dancing

within the lines of her poems, these

mountains will always

remember her name.

 

-To Belinda Lomeli (1-05-1988 to 05/08/2020)