..
But there’s a hope that’s waiting for you in the dark
You should know you’re beautiful just the way you are
And you don’t have to change a thing, the world could change its heart
No scars to your beautiful, we’re stars and we’re beautiful.
– Alessia Cara, Scars To Your Beautiful
..
She’s rocking
her algebra with her dad, and belting
out these lyrics at the top of her
gorgeous lungs and doing something
called point slope variation or somesuch
and I don’t even know what that is. And
she’s sassy and spicy and already puts up
with nobody’s nonsense, and she sings
these words of scars and beauty and truth
and I know she knows them, know she
feels them, but I also know the world will
knock her around a little, fight some of
this truth out of her. And I want to wrap
her back tight in that blanket she loved
and weave my fingers through her tiny
hands and sing her something simple,
some la la lu lullaby that might help her
sleep. Keep singing, Love, I want to say.
Even when the world tells you to stop,
even when it’s all too loud and you’re no
longer proud of everything you are. Even
when the voices in your head are the
loudest of all and they lie and cheat and
steal your heart. Even when you’re broken.
Even though you’re worn. Even when the
sky is falling but the stars are not. Even
when you’re caught between the hardest
places and you’ve lost all traces of the you
you know. Even when the world moves
too slow, too fast, too much past, too long
now. Even when you’ve forgotten how, sing.
Give those lungs the breath they crave, that
heart its uncaged beat, its feathered-hope
treatise with its own chambered skin. Raise
your eyes. See that moon, reflector of Light.
Smile. Trace your scars. Begin.
Miz Q has asked us to listen, write.
Whimsygizmo's Blog 
A tender write this is, full of wisdom, love, insight, guidance….she is a lucky girl to have you as her mother.
This is a most wonderful poem. May she hold onto that shine! And she will!
This is so full of love! Gets me right in the feels
Oh, they do grow up so fast, and want to experience the world too soon! This is a lovely poem.
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I am so flipping crazy over this poem. And if anyone’s you’re 13-year-old daughter, it’s ME!
You are the BEST at line breaks, doll. You add so much story based on how you break
dance with words.
I think it’s beautiful that you’re married to the kind of man who has algebra with his daughter. You know, like two lovers have chemistry. But with a father daughter, their algebra is complex and confusing. There are so many variables. But it’s just something that, if he’s willing, they keep plugging away at until they both get it, she probably later than he. Still, he never stops gently teaching her how to understand life, how to relate to him, how to do stupid math that’s pointless.
My daughter constantly asks me why we have to learn math. I’ve started telling her that it’s not WHAT you’re learning; it’s HOW you’re learning … because it’s like a critical thinking exercise that activates a certain part of the brain that no other type of learning activates. It’s not about learning the material for future use; it’s about engaging the brain in a type of puzzle or maze. (Honestly, I think that’s true. It feels true. But I did make it up.)
“I also know the world will
knock her around a little, fight some of
this truth out of her.” … Man, I hope not.
“And I want to (w)rap.” 🙂 I know you do! Get to it!
“weave my fingers through her tiny” … Perfect.
“Even
when you’re caught between the hardest
places and you’ve lost all traces of the you
you know.” … My goodness, your poetry is STRONG, De.
“treatise with its own chambered skin. Raise
your eyes. ” … I love how you snuck in that poker reference. Raising the stakes.
P.S. It’s “Alessia Cara,” not “Carra.” 😉
Thanks for the heads up on her name spelling.
I LOVE your take on algebra versus chemistry. Brilliant.
Hi with Iris – the algebra with a daughter – that’s smart, as is Iris.
De: beautiful poem.
De’s daughter: keep singing indeed! Life will yank you around and slam you down if it has the chance, but you can fight back with joy and song.
…you’ve got the wrong link? at Q’s but I found you!
My children were in choirs…in school. Now they sing life.
May you and your daughter continue to sing with bravery and courage and love the learning that comes with scars… Some scars have good lessons to teach.
Beautiful.
Yes, my girl’s in choir (junior high), too, Jules. Thank you.