Dear Yuri,
You have been there since childhood.
I remember how you dazzled in the sunshine,
all of your beauty captured in that precious family portrait.
Golden yellow, poppy red and evergreen.
And there he was.
Looking so serene.
That memory of him so deeply ingrained,
it was you who surrounded him in vibrant array.
I stopped noticing your beauty for so many years,
took you for granted and got lost in future fears.
The world is now quiet,
no more racing thoughts and unrelenting background noise.
Like a slow awakening I embrace my senses,
and finally take off those veiled lenses.
Your vivid hues of green,
light, dark and everything in between.
Your grace as you dance around me like a ballerina.
Dainty branches pirouette,
swans in perfect poise,
and a harmony of natures lullabies.
I see her too,
that little girl in the portrait.
Velvet dress and red lolly smothered face.
She reaches out her hand.
Taking hers in mine we share a smile and stand.
Then in beautiful silence we glide in yellow gold, poppy red and evergreen.