If I Were To Be Born To You…

 I'll take my first breath and the sound you'll hear will be a war cry. 

And I'll be up on my feet before the cord is cut, to slice - 

With some sadness - 

The first of our links, with a sword made from sunshine. 

But no matter where I go, the path from me to you will always be a straight line. 

 

And since I would have learned to fight while still in your womb, 

I will step out in warrior gear. 

Of course, being my mother, 

You'd also want me to be civilized like the westerners, 

But we must heed Gandhi, 

For when he was asked what he thought of western civilization, 

He said it would be a very good idea.

 

I'll sculpt a whole new universe with my very hands 

And I hope that'll make you a proud mother. 

It will be difficult but not impossible, 

Since I would already know the solar system like the back of my hands by then. 

And I'll take life as my sparring partner, 

So that no matter how hard he’ll hit me, he'll always help me up. 

Also, I hope your world will have enough sweetness, 

Because I’ll taste a lot of blood - 

Including my own - 

And I've been told it's metallic and salty.

 

Yes, we will miss my birthdays. 

But then, there are children out there who do not even know the day of their birth, 

I'll celebrate mine with theirs. 

And I'll miss those childhood games 

But I'll be a grand chess-master by the time children learn to play, 

So that I will never ever be used as a pawn. 

And you might miss tucking me into bed 

And asking me to not be afraid of the monsters that are afraid of the light, 

But don't you let that bother you, 

For I shall be the warrior of light,

And darkness shall tremble in front of me, 

And children everywhere will sleep under the stars with their stomachs full and their hearts light.

 

As for what will I do with my life? 

Either I will sniff out trouble or trouble will smoke me out. 

And in the breaks between my battles, I will read 

And maybe write some poetry, 

So that I may remember to stay human, 

For the pain around will spill out by the ocean loads 

Even if I was to take every single hand and stretch it from here to the end of time.

 

And I will think of you every time it rains. 

So, will you please keep some chocolates with you 

And give them to some children each time it rains either outside or inside? 

And the first time I bleed, 

I won't look around for a superman, 

But I will look for you, supermom, even if for a moment, I promise you. 

But I know you'll not be worried cause by then you would have turned into the heart of a tiger. 

And that is why I won't apologize to you 

Even though others might feel I have done you wrong, 

Because my eyes will be shining, 

My heart will be singing, 

And my voice will be heard.

 

Maybe one day I'll fall in love or maybe I won't, 

But there will be no prom night, 

Not in this life, not in our universe. 

I will forever sleep with a sword by my side 

And I will one day sleep forever by the sword, 

But you will not shed tears. 

I may have come in crying 

But I will go away laughing 

And you will bid me farewell with a smile. Yes?

 

And whenever I am tired or disappointed or worse defeated, 

I will stand on a beach 

And see the ocean kiss the shore. 

I will think of what you once said to a room full of eager ears, 

“That there will be days like this.” 

So, I will look at the blisters and the bruises, 

And will thank those who gave them to me, 

For the scars will be my medals 

And I’ll wear them proudly. 

 

Till the day will come when I will rule this universe 

And whenever someone will come up to me 

And tell me how great I am, 

I will stop them and tell them, 

That if they truly want to know greatness, 

Then they really ought to meet my mother.