To the Girl Who Danced Barefoot

You kicked off your shoes
not to run
but to remember.

When the world felt too loud,
you moved with the earth.
When joy bubbled over,
you danced it into being.

They told you to sit still.
To be quiet.
To tone it down.

But you?
You moved.
You remembered.

And now…
I remember you too.

I carry your joy with me
into every creation,
every page,
every barefoot step.

You weren’t too much.
You were too true.
And now, we rise—together.