She moves through the world with a sense of confidence and grace

Her once reckless spirit now tempered by wisdom

Quietly, yet firmly, she speaks truth without doubt or hesitation

And the life she leads is of her own creation

She now understands what it means to live and let live

How much to ask for herself and how much to give

She has a strong yet generous heart

And the inner beauty she emanates truly sets her part

Like the mythical Phoenix,

She has risen from the ashes and soared to a new plane of existence

Unfettered by things that once posed such resistance

Her senses now heightened, she sees everything so clearly.

She hears the wind rustling through the trees;

beckoning her to live the dreams she holds so dearly.

She feels the softness of her hands

and muses at the strength that they possess.

Her needs and desires she has learned to express.

She has tasted the bitter and savoured the sweet fruits of life,

overcome adversity and pushed past heartache and strife.

And the one thing she never understood,

she now knows to be true,

it all begins and ends with you.

– Sonny Carroll