In the quiet of the hospital room,you lay , a mosaic of strength,31 needles laid out like a soldier’s salute,each one a story etched in the skin of your arms; yet the way you smile,as if the world is offering you coffee and an eclair

Every day a marathon,your vision, a puzzle with missing pieces,yet you navigate the shadows with a grace that leaves me, the wordsmith, speechless

We speak of the past, ,the way we’d chase sunsets on our bicycles with banana seats; our hair wild,dreams unbroken: Now your my lighthouse in a storm

I watch you,a warrior with her heart laid bare as you embrace the challenge,the way your pain becomes my6poetry,and I wonder how you do it,how you wear your battles like armor and still shine

You’re definitely grit and faith beauty and grace, you make Chuck Norris look like little lord fauntleroy

It’s an honor to be here,to witness your journey,and to call you friend ;and yes as you know, I hold onto your courage as it pulls me closerto the edge of my own understanding and eases my tempest
I simply and eternally offer these words:

I love you Rachel, My dear friend, my warrior princess