It's You, It's YOU!!

 It’s You, It’s YOU!!

I call his name just as I arrive.
He turns, brightens,
runs up the hill
from our campsite.
Every so often he throws in
 a little dance,
repeats over and over,
“Oma! It’s you, it’s you!!”
The energy of his joy
envelops me as I pick him up
for a quick hug,
my heart all aflutter.
Later,
as Mama and Dada
are off to pick up food
and supplies,
we share some tent time
and then decide to build a fire,
just because.
Together we fan the flames,
stoke it a bit,
simply sit and watch.
The wind picks up
as he climbs onto my lap,
clearly in need of some cuddle time.
I wrap him in his adventure blanket
(a.k.a Blanky)
and quietly sing our song.
He slides gently into sleep
just as rain begins to fall.
The soothing sounds of distant whitewater
 and raindrops on the tarp,
the sweetness of his trust and love,
the soft, dual movement
of the eddy as it flows
past our little beach
 produce a stirring of my soul
that is deep and primal and needed.
The shifting currents of healing,
though powerful and true,
can at times be disorienting.
In these moments
along the Penobscot,
and at intervals ever since,
I separate from disquiet,
anchor more securely
to the ‘you’ that he sees,
grateful that it’s me.

Sarah Carlson
August 23, 2023