Note to my Daughter

There is no requirement to be strong,

no need to put on armour

and square up to the world every

single

day.

History has not been kind to us

and to stand strong,

continuously,

in the face of the relentless battering

waves breaking over us

again

and

again

eroding our worth, our dignity,

our sense of self,

is exhausting

and hides the scars of our fighting

and the dark bruises of our trauma.

It is fine to be soft.

It is okay to fall, weeping

into moments of hopelessness

and anger,

to close the door and get cosy

and not worry about being a warrior

for just one day