dreams and dishes

i know i should help

mom with our dinner

practice my scales

show dad i'm a winner

at soccer and squash

piano and french

i am that kid

the coach will not bench

but underneath all

of my talents and tricks

my heart, she beats softly

with a tick, tick, tick

i prefer to write poems

and daydream away

sing to my cats

make pots out of clay

i collect stones

in the shape of a heart

i like to rip pictures

and recreate art

they don't understand

how could they relate

they think i'm like them

a perfect blank slate

turns out i'm not

at all what they think

a deep water girl

who's right on the brink

of avoiding their rules

and saying enough

i've had it, i'm done

i'm over this fluff

perhaps they'll give up

and try for another

a sweet baby boy

they'll raise as my brother

i hope this new child

will follow their wishes

he'll get into yale

and wash all the dishes

then i'll be free

to do what i please

god i hope so

i'm on hands and on knees

Poem by Alexandra Thayer Stewart

Image via We Heart It