Take them to a room where the floorboards sag under every footstep,
until each one creaks loudly from the grief of their self-pity,
and lay them down. Slowly as you can. Align yourself with them
spine to spine, like mountains trailing blue ridges into the distance,
and wrap your arms around them until every bone folds.
Teach them how the contours of their own body
are not only beautiful with your hands alone tracing them;
they have to learn to read the map themselves.