Just Listen

I've been in love with words
since the age of five
as a child I felt
guilty for being alive
my dad wanted a boy
but he got seven girls
I learned really fast
not to talk back
still I took a stand
against my overbearing dad
the only good thing
he ever did for me
was to read me
a little poetry
I was captivated
by the sound of his words
left a seering mark on me
I knew then what
I wanted to be
a maker of this thing
they called poetry

now, I found my voice
got brave as I could be
tried my hand
at writing poetry
was the greatest feeling
that I'd ever known
and as I grew older
I saw my talent grow
see, I'm living my dream
seen my name in print
cause somehow I
was given the chance
to speak my truth
i wanted to do it
since my youth
knew i could do it
if someone would
 just listen to me