When you walk into the house you see your daughter staring

Staring, staring into the mirror

Something clutched in her hand

You don't know but you feel your heart clench up tight, scared

 

She's scared

She looks into the mirror, wondering

If the grass is greener on the other side 

You look at her, asking

Asking about the object hidden away from your eyes

Causing your heart to jump erratically

 

She stands there, ignoring

Well, not ignoring, but thinking

Not thinking, listening;

Listening to your voice telling her you could not want her;

Listening to her teacher state that fags are dirty;

Listening to the pastor preach that God loves all His people ;

But all "The Gays" are going to hell;

Listening to the voices that told her her body was not right, too dark, too ugly, too boring, too stupid, too vile, too disgusting, too dirty, too thick, too ignorant, too natural

Too everything

 

She came out of the womb smiling when she saw your face

Now she turns away

Hugs exchanged for fleeting glances, heart to hearts with resentful arguments

Eyes never meeting, silence your only greeting

The same hands that used to braid her hair, turned to beating

Until one day she was gone with the wind,

Swept away by the promise of opportunity

 

You realize you're losing

Losing this battle against life

That this is the fruit of your labor

And you decided to watch and let it go

On a collision course with death

But now you want her back

You want her back but maybe now it's too late

 

You stand there, gasping

Groaning, moaning, yelling the words I Love You

She turns to you, seeing

And the knife clatters to the floor

You kneel, praying

Both of you crying

Grateful to God once more, forevermore

And embrace your daughter tightly in your arms

For the first time in ten years