Is the nose ring new I wondered
as we hugged and exchanged a kiss
Surely I would have noticed
If she’d had a nostril pierced

Has she had her hair re-tinted
Is that something I’d have missed
I’m sure I would have noticed
if she’d had a nostril pierced

I'm drinking in her smile and laughter
There’s little better than this
I know I would have noticed
If she’d had a nostril pierced

Could I check a recent photo
When she dips a salty chip
Ha! I knew I would have noticed
If she’s had a nostril pierced

“Love the new ring, darling.”

"It's been 14 years now, dad
Since I had my nose first pierced.
You really would have noticed
It's not something you could have missed."

A hero to no one except myself
Just there to fill up space in a crowded room
Told that the only things I want are fame and wealth

A Ticking Bomb ignited from the start
But neither I nor you know when I'll blow
And all your comfort will be ripped apart

I want everyone, but wanted by none
I'm just an option, never the choice
I'm just a second daughter, when he probably wanted a son

I'm carrying bombs in each of my 20 hands
And expected to blow them all out in a minute
People believe I'm just someone who can count all the sands

When people are partnered up with me
I hear a groan, a sigh, a rejection
But this is not who I am, just who you think me to be

When I look into a mirror, now dusty and haunted
I don't see a ticking bomb like everyone else
Just a girl who wanted to be wanted

If I went back to my past, would this all really last?
If I cherished all my days, would I still be chasing after grades?
Threw away my life and fell apart
Now all I have left is being smart
Is this the life I'd really choose, if I knew, I couldn't lose?
My whole life ruined from the beginning, but I can't stop that from me winning
And I've carried myself on this path called life, while bleeding out from an 8-inch-knife
So I will go where the wind refuses to blow
And soon I will see that no one can stop me
And I'm sorry if I made your life harder, but this whole time, I've just been your daughter
And even just one mistake will cause this thin ice to surely break
They'll glare at you when you're at your low
They'll glare at you from heat to snow
So you glare back at them like a shattered mirror
So you glare at all the things you once held dear

I put you back inside your box
and placed it just behind my eye
the lid is loose and the sides cracked
light shines as though under a doorway
your story paramount in my library
when you're not here I hold a breath
that is yours and yours alone, a sigh
for when we are once more met
and history tumbles like yesterday

In your eyes, I see my soul,
A love that makes me whole.
You reflect all that I am,
A bond that's never a sham.

Your love is like a guiding light,
In the darkest of the night.
You trust in me, like I do you,
A friendship that's tried and true.

You are a reflection of my heart,
A connection that will never part.
Together we'll face any storm,
Our love will keep us warm.

So cherish the bond we share,
For in each other, we find care.
You are a reflection of me,
A love that will forever be.

My youngest is an Aries.
Fiery by nature.
Has been from the start.
When the nurse brought her in
She chuckled,
“She’s feisty”.

Today, jumping from thing to thing.
with dizzying speed.
ADHD?
Hell no!
A champion of initiation.
She moves mountains
with whit.
Cuts through inertia
So quick
It closes the opening
With a searing stroke.  

Yet not so hot at
finishing.
But who would?
With as much as she starts.

The kid’s growing
And as she does,
I want for her to commit.
Of course!
To things big and small.
For her future.
For her now.

When she forgets
to feed the dog,
I’ll cover it.
I’ll even flush the toilet for the umpteenth time.

My dream for her
is that she does what she loves,
Follows her heart
in all of her affairs.
Whether she’s a finisher

Or not.

But, when it comes to dishes?
The good **** dishes!
She must always,
Always,
Without fail,
finish
doing
the dishes.

“Daughter”
My youngest is an Aries.
Fiery by nature.
When the nurse brought her in
the words were
“She’s feisty”.
She jumps from one thing to
the next.
With haste, and
dizzying speed.
Some may say it’s adhd.
Hell no!
She’s a champion.
She initiates.
She can move a crowd
to laughter with whit.
She’s not so hot at finishing though.
But who would
with as much as they start.
As the kid grows  
I want for her
to commit.
To all things big and small.
For her future.
For her now.
When she forgets
to feed the dog,
I’ll cover it.
I’ll even flush the toilet for the umpteenth time.
My dream for her
is that she does what she loves.
Follows her heart
in all of her affairs.
Whether she’s a finisher
Or not.
But, when it come to dishes?
She must always
Without fail
finish doing the dishes!