Cherished

I'm not a child,
but childlike in my needs,
approval and love grasped, savoured
as a living thing, tucked away
in a silk lined memory
to hold in the future as a shield
against adversity.
Each petal smoothed, kept pristine,
lest it should crumble
into betrayal and dust.
And should you chance upon my dreams
please close the box with care,
for I am needy and cannot always
understand that love will
come my way again,
so what I have is cherished.