Little Girl

Little Girl, in a few days, you will be 14.
You're a teenager now,
But the title is still new to you.
You're practicing.

I see you experimenting, trying things on...
The way you sometimes answer in monosyllables,
Wearing your aloofness like it's SMOD (Standard Mode of Dress).
It is, I suppose, for you and your friends.

You are as self-assured and confident as you have always been.
I hope that will stay with you,
And that you'll keep your eagerness to try new things;
That you'll always have some outlet for your abundant creativity.

As I look at you now and see a beautiful young woman,
I am excited to witness the transformation that I know is underway.
But I also see the little girl who lives forever in my heart.
I hope that she will stay here, too.