May 2014
If you’re expecting gold, don’t.
Because sometimes being made of stone that is smoothed and polished
is good enough.
And even the people with cracks and crevices,
make them so much more interesting to explore.
2. Never forget the closest playground,
because you should never have to get any higher
than a swing can take you.
I promise
that is the most effective way of touching the sky.
3. If you want to leave the country when times get hard
grab a shovel and start to dig
Dig until you’ve reached China,
or till the wet earth glares at you,
either way you’ll learn you have to face your problems.
4. Make a pinky promise,
make a blood bond.
Trust them, but draw the line in something more permanent than time.
Make sure that line can’t be erased,
along with your standards.
5. If someone decides to leave one day, don’t show them the door,
show them a map.
Show them all the possible destinations they could go
because people aren’t homes,
they are the foundation for building.
6. Don’t overlook the way your mother
says your full name when she’s angry,
or the way your father cried when the Red Sox won the World Series.
It’s the little things you’ll miss
when you’re choking out a goodbye.
7. Know the difference between kisses made with lips
and kisses made with hearts.
because the end of the world doesn’t come
when the person who you thought would be here forever,
leaves.
8. If someone upsets you, let it go.
But if they do it again, take their words and string them across a fence,
show them all the ways they hurt you.
Then climb up and over,
but make sure to shout forgiveness from the other side.
9. Change with the seasons,
try on different pairs of boots, different skins.
You have time to figure out who you want to be,
but once you do, replace the zipper with a thread and needle.
Don’t let anyone pull on the loose strings.
10. And when it comes down to it,
none of these will get you on your high horse.
You’re going to fall
and a stampede will not help you up,
but the sound of trampling is really just the sound of lessons learned.
Because sometimes being made of stone that is smoothed and polished
is good enough.
And even the people with cracks and crevices,
make them so much more interesting to explore.
2. Never forget the closest playground,
because you should never have to get any higher
than a swing can take you.
I promise
that is the most effective way of touching the sky.
3. If you want to leave the country when times get hard
grab a shovel and start to dig
Dig until you’ve reached China,
or till the wet earth glares at you,
either way you’ll learn you have to face your problems.
4. Make a pinky promise,
make a blood bond.
Trust them, but draw the line in something more permanent than time.
Make sure that line can’t be erased,
along with your standards.
5. If someone decides to leave one day, don’t show them the door,
show them a map.
Show them all the possible destinations they could go
because people aren’t homes,
they are the foundation for building.
6. Don’t overlook the way your mother
says your full name when she’s angry,
or the way your father cried when the Red Sox won the World Series.
It’s the little things you’ll miss
when you’re choking out a goodbye.
7. Know the difference between kisses made with lips
and kisses made with hearts.
because the end of the world doesn’t come
when the person who you thought would be here forever,
leaves.
8. If someone upsets you, let it go.
But if they do it again, take their words and string them across a fence,
show them all the ways they hurt you.
Then climb up and over,
but make sure to shout forgiveness from the other side.
9. Change with the seasons,
try on different pairs of boots, different skins.
You have time to figure out who you want to be,
but once you do, replace the zipper with a thread and needle.
Don’t let anyone pull on the loose strings.
10. And when it comes down to it,
none of these will get you on your high horse.
You’re going to fall
and a stampede will not help you up,
but the sound of trampling is really just the sound of lessons learned.
