I wish she had told me
that I'd probably fall in love at the wrong time,
and in the wrong place.
I wish she would have told me that love is as love does
and it isn't as easy as it looks.
In Disney movies
the princess never gets her heart broken
She never has to ask the Beast, Aladdin or John Smith
Where he has been
and if he's been using a condom or not
and if he'll still be there
when she wakes up or if he'll be gone
before the sun peaks over the horizon
or before it sets into the ocean.
So I wish my mama had told me that it is possible,
if you are strong enough and
independent enough, if you are
confident enough and
brave enough
to end up alone
and on your own.
I wish she had told me
that you may be tempted to
turn the volume up on the music
or take another shot
or drive without a destination.
You might be tempted to slow the quickly
beating pace of your already fragile heart.
I wish mama had told me that there is a raging fire of truth
that echoes into your bones, a chill that
sneaks up your spine when
passion, inspiration and action blend together.
I wish she would have told me that
you learn from experience and, like you first learned to walk
it gets easier with time.
Instead she taught me everything by example.
To take my vitamins and drink water. To cry and speak my mind.
Without telling me a thing, she taught me how to watch the full moon
rise
into the night sky.
