birthdays hurt but connections heal.

a poem.

Photo by Dariusz Sankowski on Unsplash

my boyfriend and i have a tradition

where we do something adventurous

on our birthdays.

for his,

we kayak.

for mine,

we hike.

for the days celebrating our earthside arrivals

do not make us happy to be here.

they remind us that we are each here

despite our parents never intending

for us to be.

but spending our birthdays in nature

reinforces the way it’s okay

for us to be here anyway.

it hurts to exist

when the ones who brought you here

wish that they didn’t, but you heal

when you connect with those

who are glad you came.

☽