Dear Future Daughter

By Camyia Shobe-Thomas, 16

I was mostly raised by my dad so I was taught to be strong,

Taught to never let people see you cry,

So I lived by that, to never let people see me cry,

But I remember the first day I went to my mom’s house,

I got out of the car and tripped over my own foot,

(she always told me I had two left feet)

When I fell the solid sizzling concrete burned my face,

Despite the pain I was feeling I got up,

I got up and she could see the tears in my eyes,

The tears waiting to overflow like a shaken soda bottle,

She opened her arms and told me “It’s okay to cry.”

If I have a daughter she will know it’s okay to cry,

She will know melanin in her skin doesn’t limit her if she doesn’t let it,

That her gender does not mean she can’t be an engineer,

Or a doctor, or the president one day,

If I have a daughter she will know to be independent,

To not wait for anyone or to ask for handouts,

And God forbid her to rely on a man,

When I have a daughter I will teach her respect,

But I cannot promise she will always be respected,

I will tell her to reach her goals,

But I cannot achieve them for her,

I will tell her to be kind,

But she will not always receive kindness,

I will teach her to give,

But nothing in this world will be given,

I will teach her to be there for others,

But never be taken for granted,

I will teach her that life has ups and downs,

But when she’s down never stay down,

When I have a daughter and she falls on that hard burning concrete,

I will tell her to be strong and to get up,

And with open arms I will tell her “It’s okay to cry.”

---

This poem was inspired by Sarah Kay’s “If I Should Have A Daughter.” Although this is inspired by her, none of my lines came from her poem. I just liked the idea of writing a poem to/about my future daughter (if I have one).

Instagram: @noigcaam