Welcoming Home the Inner Child
Sometimes innocence and essence get lost under family of origin trauma or just the living of life. 12 years ago, in seeking to reconnect to a part of myself that I felt I had lost touch with, a vision opened up to me and I immediately wrote this poem as a description of what I saw and experienced. It remains unedited to this day. I hope it will stir within you a remembrance of the beauty of your inner child who longs to safely come out to play and live in radiant authenticity.
MY LITTLE GIRL
Today I met a little girl
So innocent and true
I knew by revelation
That this day was overdue
Her smile was kind and radiant
Her speech like morning dew
Her hair resembled fine-spun gold
Her eyes were radiant blue
I asked the girl, “How old are you?”
“No matter,” she replied
Except I learned her birthday
Like mine, is in July
I asked her what she loved to do
The things that made her smile
I asked about her secret dreams
That made her heart run wild
The little girl stopped very still
And sighed the sweetest sigh
She took a small step closer
Looked me in the eye and giggled
“Daisy chains and buttercups
Meadows in the spring
Daffodils and butterflies
Birds upon the wing
Living in the music
Dancing with my heart
Words, and thoughts, and feelings
Creating works of art
The moon, the stars, the summer breeze
Nature’s richest pleasures
Trees, and flowers, and animals
Historic antique treasures
Cobbled streets and chocolate treats
Cozy, crackling fires
Holding hands and kisses
Chances to inspire!”
The little girl was far from done
She had so much to share
With passionate enthusiasm
Genuine and rare
She skipped and twirled, Her words were pearls
of wisdom past her age
As though she had a destiny
Of purpose to engage
She smoothed her frock and fluffed her hair
Her warmth felt like the sun
Melting years of trauma
That had left me dead and numb
My eyes began to sparkle
No longer was I tired
This meeting was no accident
Some magic had transpired
For long ago I knew a little girl
Who loved to dance
But life had dealt her many blows
And painful circumstance
I’d searched for her so many times
In anguish, cried her name
Her sweet and trusting presence
Had been buried under pain
But suddenly she had returned
As if the time was right
The dawning of redemption
To chase away the night
I reached my hand to touch her face
To know her tender essence
And found my hand upon my heart
Bathed in holy presence
I could not see the little girl
It seemed she’d disappeared
Even though the echo
Of her laughter was still here
Then at last I realized
My search was at its end
The purpose of this meeting
Now to comprehend
The little girl restored again
My lost identity
In meeting her, I found myself
For the little girl was me.