Poetry
"the perfect daughter"
Poetry
"the perfect daughter"
By Diya Sebastian
i am the perfect daughter through and through
i am meek
i am demure
i am quiet
my words are soft
and
fall
to the floor
before they even reach their target
much like the goals and dreams
i’ve allowed to wither and die
because they are
“unbecoming”
of a girl.
when i was born
i was a mere clump of clay
soft to the touch and easily moldable
each person that came into my life
shaped me to their idea of perfection
so sometimes, i would curse and blame god for all my problems
other times i would be crass and jump head first into trouble
or i would simply sit still and look pretty
allowing others to admire and critique me
like a prized painting hanging
on the wall of the world’s greatest tragedies
“potential” would be the name of my painting
because that is all i am
i have the potential to be a saint
to be the greatest scientist, doctor, or lawyer
i have the potential to be the best daughter, sister, wife, and mother
but instead
i’m wasted potential
drowning in a pool of regrets and damning insecurities
the water has turned a dark murky black
as the devil on my shoulder beats the angel into a mere husk
of what used to be
positivity and goodness
yet, when I escape into a new world,
i am not wasted potential
i am invincible.
diya