I dreamt of you, again Saw your eyes while mine were closed I felt you in my space Felt the warmth beneath my soul I struggle with possibilities Could I have gotten this so wrong? Am I confusing realities? Did I stray too far from home? Heart flutters and palpitates Not the same as my wedding day More like when I birthed my cubs But in reverse, if I must say Not like they birthed me But I was born, birthed somehow Nestled deep within you As God configured my smile What joy it

This is a letter I wrote for the woman I believe is my birth mother—on her birthday. It’s full of hope, honesty, and the ache of years apart