If I Should Grow Older...

Sarah Kay:  If I Should Have A Daughter...

I didn't know what to expect when I clicked on this video, but once I started watching, I was sucked in.  Her words are so beautiful, and they paint such a vivid picture that reaches inside you and stays with you.  I especially loved the lines:

I'm going to paint the solar system on the back of her hands 
So that she has to learn the entire universe before she can say
"Oh, I know that like the back of my hand."

She's such a talented young woman.  I've heard other artists perform spoken word poetry before.  Some were good, and some seemed angry.  I would describe Sarah Kay's poetry as inspiring.  After listening to her talk, I decided to write a poem as well:

When my parents are no longer beside me, but are up in the sky

where the birds fly, where balloons float away

and become little specks in the universe,

When I look to the future, will I be happy?  Satisfied?

I've always had something pulling me forward:  

summers, college, graduation

When life becomes stable and smooth like a perfectly iced cake,

will I still feel the pull forward, or will the tide recede?

We have so much energy and vibrance as kids. 

Where does it all go?

Does it evaporate like steam, 

only to come down again as tears and sweat?

Do we learn to store it away like a prized piece of candy 

that we take out only on special days?

Do we pass it on to the littler ones and reminisce on the side 

because that's how it should be?

I enjoy speaking to older people because they always have stories.

As the words pour out through their weathered lips,

their eyes shine with the life of their younger years.  

When I grow older, I want to have stories to tell.

I want a library.

How can I gain so many experiences in such a short lifetime?
Experiences that are meaningful, unforgettable, unregrettable.
I can learn from others and create my own memories,
take every opportunity to live a new day, and not sleep them away
because I can sleep as much as I want after I die. 
Will that be enough?


When I grow older, I want to have stories to tell.
I want to understand why people do what they do.
I want to have opinions on things that matter.
I want to make good decisions,
even when I don't know what will happen.
I want to be able to fight when I must with passion and loyalty,
but when the war is over, I want to foster peace always.
I want to love unconditionally.
I want to be a good person, 
and I hope to inspire others along the way.