“If I Ever Have a Daughter” by Yelizaveta Tolstokoraya

IF I EVER HAVE A DAUGHTER

Yelizaveta Tolstokoraya*

I will never have a daughter, Because a child should never be A victim of their parents’ faults. It’s inevitable that They are burdened, anyway.

And if I do, I won’t expect my daughter To be the best just to be good enough. My grades weren’t perfect, My answers never right.

And if I do want her to be the best, I can’t tell my daughter She’s doing something wrong To the point of her losing self-confidence. I gave up on too many things myself.

And if I do it wrong, I hope she’ll disagree with me And show me a better way Because her voice matters, too. A belief I didn’t have about myself.

And whatever I do, I’ll try not to let my daughter Believe that I don’t love her for who she is. I may have a daughter, But, please, don’t let her be like me.