Dear Theo,

Don't let anyone tell you an apple

tastes the same in slices as it does

in bites. Or that you won't find

sharks and elephants and mommies

on Old MacDonald's farm. You know

the ladybug and her captor spider

have equal rights in the weave

of life, and that metaphor can be

chewed from toast. May you find

in pirate ships the reflection

of your treasure. May you learn

from my mistakes, though they

can't spare you. When the pain

gets too great, paper your heart

with bees' secrets. Look to

sweetness for shelter.

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