Four

Four

By Josie Mitchell

Children, remember 

You know yourselves better 

At four I heard it in my voice 

Talked about it in my head 

At six, friends giggled about marrying boys

I said I’d marry them instead 

Children, take care 

They’ll say “Don’t you dare” 

At eight, I abandoned dresses 

So people saw it in my clothes 

I reveled in their guesses 

Thought, “Finally, it shows” 

Children, don’t be fooled 

Only you can make the rules 

At ten, my handwriting was pretty 

By eleven, it was a messy scrawl 

My teachers thought it was a pity 

They didn’t know I’d planned it all 

Children, take heed 

They don’t know what you need 

At twelve, I mourned Nature 

I forgot minds are natural too

Thought I didn’t want to mature 

But that’s not what I was afraid to do 

Children, watch out 

Don’t listen to their doubt 

Fourteen, everyone so fond of separation 

So much I tried to ignore 

Confused by my own frustration 

I forgot what I’d known at four 

Children, don’t fret 

You don’t have to forget