Dear son, dear daughter,
I gave you life,
but I cannot live it for you.
Do not spend it
at the mercy of grief and self loathe,
but sit on the lawn, gazing proudly at the moon
and belch out loudly, saying “I’ll live my life,
in such a way that will make my father proud.”
Dear daughter, dear son,
I can teach you many things,
but I cannot make you learn.
Your fate is intact so far,
it is not cracked yet.
Do not let your dreams
flow into leaking jars;
but just like stars,
learn to speak your truth quietly,
and shine in silence;
learn to dream big,
in a world that is unjust and unfair.