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A Parent's Plea

by Sarah James

Dear child,

 

I do not ask you 

to be perfect–

 

I ask you 

to be good.

 

For the road to perfect 

is paved with the purest of plights,

 

But the grace to good is

a fall to your knees

an action unasked–

a mistake.

 

I do not ask you 

to be beautiful–

 

I ask you

to bloom.

 

Brothers, sisters, misters:

 

I hope I see you rise,

not run.

 

I do not ask you to change 

everything. 

 

I ask you 

to change.

 

See you in the spaces between,

 

-God

About the Author

Sarah is a writer and undergraduate student studying English and Creative Writing at Santa Clara University. Her work has been published in the Winter 2020 edition of the Santa Clara Review, the Orange County Museum of Art, and the Spring 2020 edition of The Owl. She is from San Diego, California.

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