Prompt: A letter-poem
Dear Mira,
I write you this
18 years before you shall receive it.
Perhaps over this time,
Were I to stay alive,
I shall give you glimpses of its contents:
Anecdotes, words of wisdom, reality checks,
You must wait a while, I'm afraid,
Not that you will mind.
Welcome to this world, little one,
My life has changed manifold
In the 267 minutes since you arrived.
As I return home, alone,
Thinking of you in your cradle,
Innocently asleep,
I pass the places of this city
That you will know to be your own,
Ah, the things that you are yet to see and learn
They will overwhelm you, fascinate,
Let your mind run wild, Mira.
You are yet to know much -
The names of the constellations, bird sounds, what a pronoun is
Slowly you will learn and spread your wings
And soar like a redwood tree
In the forest of your mind.
One day, in the distant future,
We shall walk hand in hand,
Exploring museums, parks, libraries,
Anywhere your little feet would like to visit.
I will introduce you to my favorite things:
Stargazing, reading, walks in the woods, poetry
You more than welcome to imbibe these,
If you like.
On your birthdays,
I shall send you my love,
Bake you cakes perhaps,
Gift you books, kaleidoscopes, Roller Coaster Tycoon -
The essentials of life.
I'll offer you GI Joe and Barbie,
Letting you pick what you like.
I'll teach you how to roller blade,
And buy you knee pads so you don't cry
Seeing the inevitable blood.
Later, though, you will learn
That pain is merely fear leaving the body,
And learn to be adventurous within limits,
And to trust your instinct.
As you grow older still,
I'll read you poetry,
Play you every song I've ever loved,
Show you films I believe are worth seeing,
Expose you to the world of art and beauty.
Prepare to be exposed to everything,
To create your own version of what works and doesn't.
Please know that you are magic, Mira,
You transformed each of us long before you made an appearance,
And will continue to be loved as long as we live.
Good luck at what we know as 'life',
Stay strong and curious and brave and happy.
I love you.
Art by Sophie Jackson
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