Drown out the voices
And pieces of you will have to go

Don't listen to the things
You tell yourself so late into the night -

How are you to know which voice of yours
Is truly right?

I know every line
I've traced them like endless braille
That always has another message to tell

I've coloured every each in and out
Wiping away the evidence of sadness,
Intrigue, shame and curiosity.

I have woken up to those eyes
Every morning that mattered
And slept with it through the darkness.

I know of the wonders that eyes mask
What each glint of the eye means
And that arched eyebrows are a sign of defeat.

I know all its secret blemishes and shame
The freckles which few see -
We are good friends the mirrors face and me.

Don't believe the things you tell yourself
So late into the night -

You are lost between two worlds,
Neither of which is right.

Always carry a book
So you may live many lives and             experience all kinds of adventure

Never forget the world
Do not forget to create your own adventures too -
Sometimes trouble will help you dear

Always fight for what you believe in
Remaining silent is like loosing yourself and one of the great tragedies!

Choose your battles wisely
You are not always going to win, the world is not always fair - but that doesn't mean you'll never win.

Know that you are always loved
Even when I do not understand or when the world seems against you, I and the universe love you baby.

Education is not limited to school
Fill yourself with the knowledge that you love and crave, never limit yourself to a classroom

Be brave
You are my special creation and I will always be there to catch you!

Love like it will last forever
Never limit yourself because of someone else, do as you wish - but don't be foolish.

And most importantly, if you ever learn anything from me -
leggings are not pants*

Be you my darling, and the world will grow to accept you.

I can see the sadness in your eyes
When you recognise their stare
Cast from judging eyes.

I see you gently clench your fists while smiling politely
As you hear the wait staff whispering foolish nothings

The pain in your face was clear to me
When your boss insinuated I was worth more than my "price"
Witty, stubborn and still politely balanced.

I try to soothe you, to say it does not matter.
Let those who will never understand think what they wish
There'll never know our hidden bliss.

I did not fall for a birth date or the lines on your face - though I love them dearly.
Age is only a number darling.

They do not know of all you do for me -
How when my illness takes hold
You do not sleep - watching me like a guiding angel so that I may survive the night.

They do not know of the things that we've seen together -
How the world has grown and become dapled with colour since you let me in
And showed me the world through your wise eyes.

Your face isn't the same face
That scowled me when I was a child
Its softer now - wiser and older.

Your body isn't strong like it should be
A sickness has seeped into
The crevices of your being -
But its spared your heart.

Through a child's eyes you were selfish
Strict and staunch and angry -
Never letting us do as others did.

I thought as a child when I grew up
I'd see differently through an ageing mind
Of how you only meant to protect me.

Sometimes I long for the return of my child-innocence
I am still young, but my life has made me cold.
An aged mind shows a story of a different kind.

All the times I found you crying on the tiles
The way you'd scream and panic in public
Why no one was ever aloud come to our door.

You struggled with the darkness placed in your mind
Day after day you scuffled through
Raising three screaming children
Protecting them from the world and you.

I long to be strong like you mother -
To guide you to the light
And apologise for all the times I added to your plight.

You tell me that I am special,
Yet you treat me as lesser.
You recite words that "reflect my beauty"
But I've heard you recite such sweet nothings to others.
You demand to know my feelings
Only to cast yours in disguise.
You praise the "wonders" of my mind
Though when I speak you never listen.
You describe having me as your "greatest decision" and "luckiest find" - you had the gall to tell me I was your rare gem stone, one of a kind.
However I know I am nothing more than option.

Your sweet words and charming romance
May fool your other rare gems,
But my heart is beat and whithered.
Actions speak louder than words Darling -
Your words so full
Your actions scream silence.