"when you were born to stand out..."

"Why fit in
when you were born to stand out?”
― Dr. Seuss


pigtails flying
ribbons akimbo
stripes and
spots and a crooked
smile

blues
and greens
and something new
beyond the
pale and above
a rainbow

not pastel or
garish, or ever
subdued....

neither
kitschy,
or trendy, or even
slightly
contrived...

not fitting in,
but perfectly aligned with
herself,
and never left
out

just willa

always willa

across the miles
and under the radar

in photographs and
through the mail
antidotal,
anti-establishment,
original, and
timeless

a never heard song
that stirs a
memory...

a fresh scent that
can't be captured, and
yet reminds you
of who
you want to be
when you don't
grow up,
and
finally
stop trying so hard
to be something

she is
just willa

always willa

and she reminds you
to be
you...

just you

"You'll miss the best things
if you keep your eyes shut.”
― Dr. Seuss

[photo credit: A. Paulsen/J. Rollins 2012]