To My Daughters
In time I will become dust and a memory
The moments I cradled you and
The words I leave you will become the shoulders that hoist you
In the ebbs and flows of life
When you forget to self-affirm
Take note; there will be noticeable differences
Between who you are and who the world says you are
Don't allow your eyes to wander from your reflection
Your image rights are your own
Rightly to be great
You don't need permission to be awesome
In the mind and body, nature blessed you with
Don't change beyond recognition to your own eyes
Please, don't typecast yourself in a role you didn't author
Words aimed and shot at you may pierce your armor
But you only die when you forget your grace, humanity, and your right to be
Don't be enthralled by the audition
Listen with a discerning ear, ask unanticipated questions
When someone else tells your story
They determine your destiny
Who you permit to tell your story frames your essence
And who's voice portrays you without character
Strong women don't bow their heads and lower their shoulders
And whisper in hushed tones because they're terrified to be,
Neither are they unnecessarily moved to wrath to assert themselves
Strong women embody strength in character
They don't confound value with difficulty
Strong women don't safeguard themselves in self-pity
Instead, strong women recognize they'll experience moments of vulnerability
Just like moons and suns, they return to shining
When you see another strong woman, pay her homage
Love Daddy
The Novice Poet