I Wish They All Could Be California Girls

Drop your meticulously guarded poise,

smoothed and

tucked and

held back.

Let go your studiously crafted shoulds.

Run,

with every jiggling bit,

with wobbling, sand-sunk steps.

Throw yourself in

to elementary joy.

Find yourself

held up

and crashed over,

legs kicked out from under you

and foolishly flailing.

All of you here now,

exposed

and belonging.