She has a bowl of wintergreen mints next to her rocking chair
Ms. Maggie May rocked back and forth with each creak and squeak of that **** chair
When I got off the school bus
she motioned me over
And she said, "child I've noticed something about you"
"Yes Ms May?"
"You walk with your head held high and look every adult in the eyes..."
"Yes Ms May?"
"But you never walk home with the kids your age, I never really see you play?
"Leads me to wonder if you're okay
I've watched you grow and seen what your smiles can do to a room of miserable Alexander's and their horrible rainy days
But have you ever made yourself smile?
Oh child you take yourself so seriously
but oh so easy on the others around you
If you continue on this way I fear you won't remember how to be okay in this great big world of insane."
"Ms. May I don't understand what you're saying, momma always told me to be sweet to strangers"
"Yes child it's important to be kind and generous to others
But
Those muscles around your mouth
Those prescious lips
Those are yours"
"This is what you do:
Make others happy by simply being you but don't you dare smile unless the effort is personally true"
I took a handful of winter mints, and nodded "Yes Ms. May"