To Sarah on her Bungee Day
You’re 22 today, and
I want to celebrate,
Your wit, your grit,
your smarts, your heart.
I want to shower you with gifts,
Invite your family and friends,
Sing to you in a crowded restaurant.
But for you
I’ll try to pull it back.
You’re 22 today,
stretching each year into new lands,
A mountain range,
A college dorm,
An African plain,
A graduation stage,
But these bungee days,
They snap you back
To who you were and
What you lost.
You’re 22 today,
Stretching each year into new times,
Five years past
The age your older sister reached,
Nine years past
The year your older sister died,
Birthdays don’t seem the same.
You’re 22 today, and I know
It’s 2 different days
For you
And me
Today I marvel at what you’ve become.
Today you’re pulled back by what can’t be undone.
FiveHundredaDay 
Brilliantly written. Happy Birthday to Sarah and all she is! As her father, this celebrates her and embraces who she is and what she has experienced. Again, brilliant. Thrilled to be reading your writing again! Thanks for sharing.
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What a powerful poem for your daughter’s birthday – the use of repetition of both structure and sound, along with your intentional pairs really highlights the growth and the loss. Happy Birthday to Sarah. May she continue to grow and continue to come back.
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Happy birthday, Sarah. A beautifully crafted poem to mark the magnitude of a day.
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Ps. Welcome back.
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This wasn’t at all what I expected when I read the title. I don’t know Sarah, but I feel for her on her bungee, and send her birthday wishes. I am also thinking about my own bungee days. Your poem took me far deeper than I expected to go.
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There you are! You were missed. Such a strong voice on your return. So much in an economy of words. Thanks fo sharing your joy and a glimpse of your pain.
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