maple syrup

They say blood is thicker.but I learned young that love is louder, Not in names or in DNA, but in those who stay when life grows harder. My mother chased ghosts in bottles, lost in smoke that clouded days, While I sat quiet, feeling lost in countless ways. My father drove through years like cities, always passing by, Missed more than birthdays missed the tears I’d cry. But Nan said, “I love you to the moon and back,” While Papa made pancakes when my world would crack. They showed me love was steady, soft, and always true, And that’s where my roots grew deep with those who raised me through.