To the daughter of 2020. On the Autumnal Equinox, this poem came to me out of nowhere.
Five days later, the person I wrote it for took her first breath.

For the new morning star
In the belly of the Wolf,
I want you to know
We are going to do right
By you. When you grow up,
You’ll have a head start
Over the traps and contradictions
Of this place. You will know
Who you really are.
Believe me, we’re still trying
To figure it out. Our understanding
Of the real world is recent.
It’s scary, because sometimes
I fear no matter how much
I read, or teach, or change,
There is no escaping this place.
They put lies in our food,
Books, beliefs, to the point
That I’ve considered giving up
On saving my family, because
There is nothing more painful
Than making people think.
Please know that your parents,
Their friends, their peers,
We’ve got you covered.
This time is your time, and
If you’re born at the peak
Of this Moon, give or take,
Know that your mother
Fought like hell to bring you
Here, into this strange time
None of us could ever foresee.
Know that you are loved
And the world we’re going
To create for you will be
A world worth living in.