To Jaimie On Her 16th Birthday

In the grand scheme of living my life
Between overtime, thanksgiving
Poetry readings and jury duty
I forgot something
The girl I love most in this world
My precious neice
Turned sixteen

I have no excuse
I have no reason of worth
Only beg her forgiveness
And offer these words as my gift
For those who read this
I ask your indulgence
There are things every 16 year old girl
Needs to know

Make sure you come first
Otherwise men just roll over
Start snoring
And you are left frustrated
I'm not just talking about sex
In every aspect of life
Keep this as a general rule

Despite that
Make sure you fall in love
As often as possible
No matter how many people
Smash you down or
Rip out your soul
It's not your fault
It's not your heart
It's there bucket of shit
Get up, move on

Move out and on your own
Before you turn twenty-five
Completely free of anyone else
Pay your own rent
Pay your own bills
Drive a crappy car
Be able to change your own tires
Check your oil every 3000 miles
And fuck up your credit
You will enjoy the ride a whole lot more

Have lots of friends
And have best friends
But have at least one Jennifer
To be with you at 3am
To drive your car home
To hold your head when you vomit
A woman who loves you enough
To let you crash into the wall
And ballsy enough to stop you
Before you do it again

Graduate college
Your brain is the only asset you have
That won't sag when you are fifty
And you will learn more on a campus
Than how to read a book
Intern
Work your ass off
Wear your student loan as a badge of honor

Finally, my precious darling
RISE UP
Feel your power
You are a woman
A child of a Goddess
My neice in flesh
My sister in the world
My mother to the future
Reach out
All of us are here
And you are the conduit
For our strength