If I Should Have A Daughter

If I should have a daughter 

she's going to learn that this life will hit you,

hard,

in the face,

wait for you to get back up, just so it can kick you in the stomach

but getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air

There is hurt, 

fear that cannot be fixed by band aids or poetry

so the first time she realizes that Wonder Woman isn't coming

I'll make sure she knows she does not have to wear the cape all by herself

because no matter how wide you stretch your fingers,

your hands will always be too small to catch all the pain you want to heal.

Believe me, I've tried

Sarah Kay