somewhere there’s a baby
guarded by a half-wolf 
named delilah. a fearless 
baby that’s protected. nobody

hurts her. nobody slaps
her soft freckled cheeks
or pinches her butt
on the playground. she

doesn’t fall for his 
hollow blue eyes. she 
becomes a woman who 
can howl. a woman

who growls from her 
belly and snarls. nobody
makes her body their 
own. she doesn’t run 

after dark shadows hoping 
they become light. she
doesn’t bend herself into
shapes to fit boxes

made for trapping. she
finds the moonlight behind 
her own eyes. she 
runs with packs of

stars and knows that
somewhere she’s a half-wolf 
guarding a cradle. she
becomes the protector.

---

There was a real Delilah but my parents had to get rid of her because she protected me too well. I wish I remembered her.