To G

You knew me before makeup
and braces
and bags under my eyes, to show my worries.
You knew me when the world was
teeming
with blue and gold people
with ivory skin and wide smiles.
You knew me when buildings reached
higher to the sky, poking
into clouds that always hid a castle or two behind them--
When there was time
to play dress-up and pretend, with
ballet shoes, gold crowns, and scarves.
Now,
You know a face, caked
with worries, drawn in dark eyeliner,
thought, blended smoothly into the complexion,
and turmoil, hidden in a forest of curled lashes.
You know me now, as the clouds
thin, to reveal nothing behind them.
You know me, as I run, and take
the path, strewn with rocks and thorns.
You know me now, but when your arms
wrap me in their memory,
I know myself again.