You Don't Know Your Daughter At All

Just because she is no longer in a cradle
Does not mean that your baby wont fall
And if you think that her smile means she is happy
Then you don’t know your daughter at all

On arriving home from school she runs up the stairs
And locks herself away in her room
It’s so easy to think that it’s just teenage angst
That will pass in time and be gone soon

Perhaps you assume that it is just boy trouble
A romance that will soon be forgot
Yes, maybe her problems are just a passing phase
But then again what if they are not

What if they’re deep rooted in the parental soil
That you’ve been failing to cultivate
As she grows, the leaves of her childhood are falling
And as of yet have not been replaced

Dismal days are making her deciduate
No wonder she’s feeling insecure
Her branches of self belief have become so bare
With her leaves left scattered on the floor

She patiently waits to once again see the light
Not knowing that this darkness will lift
It is your job to hold her and make her feel loved
And let your past be her presents gift

Just because she has thoughts and feelings of her own
Doesn’t mean that you can not guide her
And just because she’s no longer a little girl
Please don’t forget she’s still your daughter

So when she wants to talk, be silent and listen
Make her feel free to let the words escape
Maybe you’ll find out what's been rocking her cradle
And what it is that keeps her awake