Enjoy Your Smallness

Be small in a big world, Little girl.
Run free and fast and happy,
While you have the strength,
And stamina,
And the painless ease,
Of good knees.

Run, With the wide stride of an athlete,
Competing with the last joy,
A lithe, gliding repeat,
Of the same song you just sang,
In a new key,
With a new beat,
A familiar innovation,
And a singalong chorus.

Enjoy your smallness,
Before your head blocks the sitters,
In the pew behind you,
Before your shadow—cast in innocence,
Is an old friend’s new darkness.
Guard your little heart,
And make art,
Before you know,
How far it might go,
And stay small in your heart,
Though the ambition, it itches,
Don’t get too big for your britches,
And be as glad and grateful,
As you can.
If you can,
This too, is from the hand,
Of God.