Promise

I flare my talons
and prepare to strike,
but only in defense.
I sharpen my beak, but only in warning.

I am your presidential detail,
your Secret Service.
Vigilant. Committed.
I seek out bullets fired in your direction
by indifferent snipers
and absorb their impact with joy.
Unwounded.

I will carry your heart when it cannot be lifted.
I will find you when you are lost even to yourself.
I will light your darkness with the fire in my eyes,
and we will crawl together out of the wilderness.
I will gather each and every scattered scrap of your shattered heart
and bind them all with stitches
from the unbreakable thread of my love.