I built her with the whitest snow
the clearest ice
the brightest flames
I built her with the softest clouds
the shiniest metal
the prettiest piece of sky
I built her with the sharpest glass
the loveliest feather
the sweetest nectar from the reddest rose
I built her out of dreams
and out of the sweetest chocolates of all
I built her out of my heart
and out of love
I built her

She soared across a sky of hope
She nestled safely in a cloud
She flew down and laughed in wonder
as her fingers skimmed the trembling grass

She marveled as she hugged a tree
felt the rugged lines that braved so much
She kissed a baby's little toe
and carefully caressed a flower's petal

She held a cold, smooth, black stone
and stroked its worn surface
She closed her fingers one by one around it
and cooed softly, cradling the stone
Then finally she opened her fist
and the stone was a stone no more
but a white, white dove
She smiled as the whitest dove of all
spread its wings and flew
away away away

She whispered secrets to the grass
and listened as they whispered ones back
clapping her hands in the purest joy
and laughing a sweet, untainted laugh

She laid a finger on a dying sapling
She sang a little song
and watched in admiration as the sapling
grew big and strong

She watched in awe as a beetle
crawled across her finger
She brought it close to her heart and whispered:
"Prettiest creature of them all."

She circled around an old, old man
Who lay, eyes closed, breath hard,
and strained,
and slow
She kissed his wrinkled, weary cheek
She held his tired hand
and then his eyes opened wide
his breath quickened
he leapt right out of bed and
strangest thing of all
he danced!

She sang with the birds
She jumped with the frogs
She listened with the rabbits
She ran with the horses
She flew the butterflies
She whispered with the wind

And then one day she told me
She said she had to go
I pleaded with her
begged her not to leave
But she shook her head so sadly
and said she had no choice

She said good-bye to the animals
and to the trees
and the bugs
and the grass
and the clouds
and the skies
and then finally to me

She said to remember
times sweetest of all
She said to be brave
and joyful
and happy
and sad
She said to be determined
and do what you must
She said to recall
that our hearts are all the same
that words can hurt
and smiles can heal
She said to sing
and to dance
to laugh
and to smile
And finally she whispered
She will always be with me
in my heart
with my dreams and my love
to guide me
and teach me
to show what's right and what's wrong
to love me

She flew up, up, up
into the promising sky
and gave me one last look
a smile resting on her lips
a tear dropping from her crystal eyes
"Don't forget," she murmured. "Don't forget."

And then she disappeared
a small white dot
in a big blue sky
a small white dot
forever gone

I wept a tear
and then another
falling down my cheeks
and landing on the crying grass

And then I put my hand on my heart
and felt warmth encompass me
felt her smile
felt her laugh
felt her love, most of all
And I knew

She was there