There’s a swelling from deep within,
Pushing the stones and soil and roots up.
A swelling that originates from some drastic changes within the heart.
This is not a birthing in the traditional sense.
But a shifting and a turning-over and a mixing of the status quo.
It is a painfully necessary birth of something different.
It is the birth of a new relative to see after the entire family.
This is my journey
— Nate Long “Owl”
Pen and ink with digital manipulation