If I Had A Daughter

• Victoria Welsh, Grade 10, Loreto Kirribilli
• Poetry
• 2013

Excellence Award in the 'Dream Big 2013' competition

If I had a daughter I would teach her many great things.

I would stroke her hair and say “Darling no matter where you are, and whatever time it is I will be there because I am your mother”.

I would tell her “baby follow your dreams, even though the world brings hatred and war to our doorstep you should keep on going”.

“Baby don’t let others capture your dreams and stuff them in a bottle and shake it till all the pressure builds up and explodes in a dark place”.

If I had a daughter I would want her to be proud, I would want her to be proud of me and say to her friends “yeah that lady’s a little crazy but she is my mum” because she comes from a strong family who have genes for greatness.

If I had a daughter I would teach her that the stories she shares tells others the truth and even though the status she reads on Facebook may not always be true and those people who edit themselves and hide behind the screen are cowards and she should not be afraid of who she is. She would show people that she is strong and independent.

If I had a daughter I would teach her that the boy that broke her heart, was despicable and he was not worthy of her and that the "sun does not shine until the moon is tucked away”.

If I had a daughter I would say “baby the world will bring hurt into the cuffs of your hands with disappointing marks, broken heart and failure but soon you will be ready to catch this hurt and knock down those walls” because “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”.

My daughter will mean the world to me and I know that the greatest gift I could ever give to her is to believe in her.

If I had a daughter I would hold her tight, I would glance into her eyes and see the innocence of our world.

If I had a daughter I would love her unconditionally!