Take a deep breath in

And release a fragile wail

Open your eyes, child

Your knees are ruddy

Voice untroubled by regret

Play and laugh louder

Stand taller, chin up

The world is watching you fail

Eyes front, do better

Your knees don’t work right

You are the last one standing

They have all gone first

The wind whispers “come”

The soil, cool beneath you

Deep breath now. Exhale

The sunset looms, and so too I shall sleep;

Into my austere chambers I retire

And bid my soul and body not to weep

But pray tomorrow doesn’t rise so dire.

Remember this, the day that I am gone,

Behold resplendent architecture, grand

And holy; then to me they would atone

And bury sins like secrets in my sand.

Am I unworthy to be worshiped so?

Has my era ended without fuss?

For Goddess they had called me long ago

Yet still, am I not fierce and wondrous?

My long awaited rest calls forth, serene

Remember me, once everlasting queen.

In the time before time, it was only she and he.

They were One, bound together, bonded long before humans tried to define “love,” before such things were fraught and complicated. Together they were everything, and everything was them.

But their existence was bound for greater things, she just knew. The core of her consciousness knew that time marched on, and she had a purpose.

He knew she was right.

In a cosmic moment, in a million lifetimes, there was Creation. They were no longer one; no, she was substance, she was strength, and he watched over her ceaselessly as she settled into form. From her came Life, and from him sustenance. They watched in awe as Creation perpetuated unendingly, as beings made their own way and changed their own selves.

They called themselves “people,” called other things “plants” or “animals” and gave them increasingly more complicated subcategories. They even gave her names, pretty ones like “Gaia,” “Danu,” “Prithvi,” or “Mother Earth.” They gave him names too, “Jupiter,” “Uranos,” “Dyaus.” The people grew plentiful and diverse, and it was with pride that the Two watched as humanity grew even as humans complicated themselves. They were learning, and Mother and Father were proud.

But sometimes it was hard. She had committed herself to a form, and now she was solid. She couldn’t be a part of his existence, not like she was before. They were separated by a physicality that he could hardly understand. It was worth it, they both agreed, for the sake of their Creation.

And so he stands watch as she nurtures and grows, teaches and blesses Life. He weeps sometimes; for joy at their Creation, for sorrow at her distance. From his tears she grows.

And when each have the energy, they reach out. He stretches his great arm down to her, and she, with joy, extends hers upward. Their hands meet in a blinding flash, and for one beautiful, mighty moment, they can touch one another again.

The concept of a Sky Father and Earth Mother is one that spans multiple faiths, myths, and traditions. It is a beautiful universal reflection of our understanding of our origins, and our love of the nature that surrounds us.

Take a breath. I am leaving.

I've pondered long and hard over my own self, and my relationship to the lot of you, to my career, to my dear friends and family. I've spent too long a time trying to figure out why I feel outcasted by people who love me, and who I love in return. The conclusion I've reached is that I find it more easy to love you all from a distance. I suspect many of you feel the same way about me.

There are things I want to do, need to do--things I've put off for someone else's sake, time and time again. I'll not put myself off any longer. I'll be back, but only in my own time.

I am all right. I have supplies, money, and a plan. I am leaving by my own free will; I am under no duress, and I've told no one of my location.

I tell you this because I need you not to look for me. Do not file a missing persons report, don't enlist the help of rescue teams or do-gooders wanting to check off their good deed for the season. I don't want to be found. And I think that right now, if you go against this simple wish and look for me, you'll lose me for good.

You'd never find me anyway.