Shelter

I grew up in a world too cruel to hold me,
but beneath their breath, I found kindness.

They guarded me with eyes that never turned away,
and I saved them with hands that knew healing.

We were each other’s shelter —
a child who spoke in laughter and noise,
and the creatures who answered,
teaching her what trust feels like.

On the rug of my childhood,
we built a sanctuary of fur, breath, and memory —
a place where love was simple,
and I was finally home.