home is as close to you as your heart by Valerie Parente
It’s not running away
if I bring home with me.
There’s no need to be afraid
that my love will leave
because it was always your love
that moved me.
I am only as far away
as the heart that I keep.
You are only as far away
as the heart inside you that beats.
– Valerie Parente (7-3-2026)
Sink or Swim by Valerie Parente
When I was young
nobody ever taught me how to swim
and I thought, “Oh I’m so lucky
that they didn’t throw me in the deep end.”
No one told me it’s a good thing
to experience that rush of adrenaline,
no one told me the wave of fear
can save your life before it’s even started.
I realize as I age
and the safety nets wear thin
that the real world is less like a pool
and more like an entire ocean.
I am almost thirty years old
and I’m asking you to throw me in
I know that I could drown
but if I drown, at least I’ve lived.
– Valerie Parente (6-7-2024)
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