Hey!

My grade isn't my life!

Seeing this letter on a sheet of paper,

it's not going to change anything.

Except, maybe this "F"

in red ink,

will make me hate you

a little more.

When in life,

will I even need to know

how to graph cosine?

Teach me the important things,

teah me about safe sex,

teach me about living on my own.

Teach me to pay bills,

and how to properly fill out

this job application.

Teach me to love myself!

Teach me that my virginity

isn't my life.

Teach me that once I lose it,

I'm still the same person.

Teach me that not everything is bad.

Teach me to survive without my mother,

teach me how to survive and not 

be LIKE my mother.

Tell me that my mother loves me.

Tell my that my daddy is scared of me.

Tell me that I have power in this pen,

and no matter what grade I get

on this test in front of me,

I still have to power to write.

Tell me to write when I'm happy.

Tell me to write when I'm sad.

The next time my daddy tells me

he's done with me,

"take your computer,

take that pen, 

and write.

because writing won't save you

from that red "F,"

but writing will save you from

that bottle,

from that needle,

from those pills,

from that gun,

from that razor."

Teach  me that what they say

Won't ever matter.

Teach me that if I say I'm beautiful,

then I am.

Tell me that

my retainer isn't the end of the world,

and my ugy lisp will go away

in time for the fall musical.

Show me

how to take chances,

teach me what's important in life,

teach me how to dougie

(but not really because

you'd probably look

like a scared goose

doing it)

Be my mentor. 

Teach me to balance fun and work.

Tell me that it's okay, if I'm 16,

and I come home at 11:00 at night,

in my old camry, 

tired, 

happy,

and sober.

Teach me that it's not okay,

if I'm 16, 

and I come home at 3:00 in the morning,

tired,

depressed,

and drunk.

Tell me that the world doesn't revolve

around my test grades,

or my homework,

or what clothes I'm wearing.

Teach me that smetimes, technology

is good.

Teach me that sometimes,

it's not.

Teach me that when I'm 16,

and I fall in love,

it isn't the end of the world

when he doesn't love me anymore.

Tell me that when I'm 16, 

and I'm "over" him,

you can't hear my lies over 

my ugly, marinara stained sweatpants

and my unmatching blue hoodie.

Allow me to hug you,

allow me to cry.

Teach me, that whatever is going on,

when I'm afraid,

and I can't tell my mom,

and my daddy is off somewhere again,

and he's "done with me" again,

and he's fucking his girlfriend in Miami,

instead of celebrating my birthday with me

in boring Jacksonville,

that you're here.

Teach me that you're human,

too.

Oh yeah, and take that ugly red "F,"

and shove it up your ass!