If

If was written during a period of profound grief, when imagination became the only place where time could be undone. It is a poem about longing, devotion, and the quiet wish to return to what truly matters — nature, presence, and love unburdened by the structures of modern life. Written alongside work from my Broken Heart Series, this poem reflects a parent’s instinct to protect, shelter, and offer freedom, even when loss makes those instincts ache.

This poem does not seek resolution. It exists in the space of what might have been, honoring the bond between parent and child and the ache of carrying love beyond time.

If

If I could go back, my son,

I would take you to the forest.

To fly with butterflies,

To sing with birds,

To sleep with the stars.

If I could go back,

We would ignore that which is meaningless.

Brand names,

Taxes,

Gas prices,

Cell phones,

Shoes.

I would not play that twisted game.

I would build a fire,

Sit by a river,

Hunt for berries,

Catch fish.

I would be your shelter.

Defender.

Protector.

You,

Wild spirit,

Delightful boy,

You would live.

You would be free.