To my future daughter

You will know that you are a queen from the moment you are concieved till you rest your head against the silk linen of your eternal crib

And when we embrace for the first time, I hope you feel a warmth exuding from my flesh to kiss your skin like sunbeams on desert sands

A warmth that has been hidden underneath the barricades of an Alaska so cold, I thought I had forgotten how to love

I'm yearning to explode into a gust of flames like the mythological phoenix, I'll recreate myself for you

To my future daughter 

I apologize in advance for bringing you into a world where disrespect is commonplace and derogatory words are fundamental when addressing women

A world where we are disrespected by men who share the same pigment but many would rather be malignant than to show any signs of affection and compassion for the women who will give birth to a new generation of children who will follow in their footsteps 

Unfortunately, it's hard being black and female but if the sex sales tell them they can keep the retail

You are not on the market

No amount of money is equivalent to the diamonds and gold underneath your clothes

Make your soul stick out like a radio active thumb and if he loves you, he'll wait

And when your hips begin to spread like a speck of butter on hot toasted bread one Sunday morning and you think to yourself, 

"Now, I can finally wear that pencil skirt to compliment what I got going on, a little skin won't hurt."

But the repercussions cut deep

Deep as metal blades penetrating, permeating innocent flesh exposing white meat like when we ran with scissors in our hands

I know, because I've been there before

You might as well be an advertisement for  a rollercoaster ride marketing to all the little boys with 50 cents, high hopes and cancer sticks from their grandmother's pockets, looking for a quick trip or a quick fix with an affinity for pretty faces and soft lips

You are NO theme park attraction

Slow down

Don't move too fast trying to cath up these girls who are trying to catch up to these boys, who are trying to catch up to life

Embrace your womanly curves

I don't mean you should hide them

But wear them with pride

Let your hips accentuate your stride 

And walk with your head held high

Like you have finally been given your 40 acres and a mule

Make him respect you by respecting yourself

Women of today have forgotten what that means

We are the offspring of royalty

Wear your crown like the queen Nefertiti spit you out herself

They say a woman is to be seen and not heard

But if you speak on something with some substance, elevate your voice so that it shakes the leaves, rips the stars from the Heavens and demands the ear of EVERYONE around you

I will tell my daughter to live her life like a manifestation of poetry, 

POWERFUL, PROFOUND AND WORTHY OF RESPECT.

-ALYSSA B. GANT