To My Future Daughter

I can’t wait to meet you. I know you’ll have softer hands and eyes like your grandmother. I’ll teach you about the beauty of flowers and dirt alike. I can’t wait to memorize your giggle while worms slither through your fingertips. How people are good — always good — just sometimes covered in pain. I’ll show you photos of where you came from. Love & love & love & love & love & how it can look so many different ways. And that’s okay. I want to teach you to be brave. I want you to shout when something doesn’t feel right and cry when you’re in pain. I’ll be there with ice cream and band-aids. I want to teach you to paint — and I’ll fall in love with whatever poetry you create. I want to teach you to love. Love everything. And if it doesn’t show you love back, try again. Sometimes things are hard to crack. Be honest. Be so daringly honest people fear you. When they don’t believe in you, it’s okay to quit. It’s okay to leave places you don’t feel good in. It’s okay to fight through it too. Whatever suits you, I’ll be your biggest fan. I can’t wait to meet you.

-aubrey poetry