Theres things I need to tell you,
advice I need to give.
Things I wish I knew,
Things that may help you want to live.

First of all little girl
You are going to grow up in a scary world.
I am so sorry to have to say
You wont get to be a little kid, wont get to just laugh and play.
Please know things will be rough,
And you my dear will have to be real tough.
The whole family goes down the drain.
I look at your old photographs, so much pain.
I can see it in your eyes,
Happy times fade away after your papa dies.

Cover your ears sweet child,
Mom and daddy will yell and scream all night
They will always make you present during each and every fight.
Please try not to take it all to heart
None of these things are really your fault,
The things you'll hear and see are just not right.

Cover your eyes beautiful little lass,
Daddy changes to a monster with each sip from that glass.
You will watch him change before you
And turn into something I wish you never knew.
His voice will be so loud
Your cries they will be drowned.
Please try not to ever look in that den
What you see, It will haunt you long after then.
You will see things that even as an adult
You wont be able to understand.
And their will be unspeakable pain that you will barely withstand.

As you grow into a teen
The violence will become so much worse
At this point it will feel
You were born with a curse.
This is when it is time for you to learn
to take a punch that you never could deserve.
But there will be no time for you to be sad
Those little baby sisters need you to hide them from their dad.

Please young lady find a safe place to hide
Because there will be endless nights
Where violence won't be denied.

You will have to go to that school
The poor kid , made fun of by those considered "cool"
Wearing secondhand clothes, shoes with holes and messy hair.
But it will be all those cuts and bruises
That really make the others stare.
You will feel like the one that always loses,
And eventually are the one to fantasize about nooses.

I hope you are strong enough
Dont just say you're fine, that doesnt make you tough.
My dear please learn to ask for a hand
Instead of just telling yourself to keep it canned
Maybe someone could help you find a safe place to land.
Please learn to on your own two feet stand.
And watch out for that devil in disguise
He is no savior, hes your demise.
But that in itself is a story for another time.

It is so very important little one
To try to be a kid, try to have fun.
Dont spend years in that dark place
Try to be one who can self embrace.

Dont let the darkness haunt you, please dont let it in.
You must learn to have thick skin
If you don't do this soon my dear
You will spend 30 years living in fear.

Please try to always remember
You are strong, beautiful, and smart
Dont ever tear yourself apart.
Maybe if you learn this lesson young
You won't spend life like theres always something to outrun.
You don't have to grow into a woman undone.
I hope this advice will help you to see
You don't have to grow up to be me.