An Ode to my Mother
Location
Because of you
I don't spend my money on new makeup bags
filled with low self esteem and insecurities
I spend my Mondays on glorious hikes
filled with smiles and joy and noise from the chipmunks
Because of you
I don't cover my mouth when I say something bold
or loud or unladylike
I cover my head with blankets at night
and dream of your smile and wonder about your eyes and replay your laugh
Because of you
I don’t stress out about each homework assignment
or mistake or worry
I rather stress each syllable I speak
loving the way our voices string words together like perfect little pearls on my mother's necklace
Because of you
I don’t skip past thoughts that are sad or deep or just…
scary
Instead I skip through the halls of school
ignoring the stares and embracing the smiles
Because of you
I don't change my appearance to conform to the identity of my peers
or even the identities of my role models
But rather I change my perspective
and decide to become a new person, rather than another imitator
Because of you
I don’t swallow my voice and let others walk all over me
carelessly and mindlessly stomping
The only thing I swallow now is each bite of your homemade lemon squares
savoring the taste and ignoring the calories society wants me to calculate
Because of you
I don't
Because of you
I do
Because of you
I now know that life is not all so terrible
But in fact it is quite awesome
And dreams are good
And the world loves me
And I love it back