Letter to my Younger Self

I see you now from milky miles down the lane,
your snapdragon eyes and tiger lily skin.
An eternal smile that would swallow the world
with your ‘yes, yes, yes’ until the world shouts ‘no’.

I wish I could save you for my winter like a matchstick
ship in a bottle, like spiced peaches in brandy hidden
behind tins of beans in the pantry, like Tibetan flags
streaking a mountain peak to keep evil spirits away.