please teach your daughter
everything you know
about hockey and baseball,
about how the boys will
pull her hair and poke her
in the eye, and that though
this is because they like her,
she can still throw them a
punch or two.

please teach your daughter
everything you know about
punching.

then, please,
bring my father
news of the world.
he may be going, but he's
not yet gone.

once you have done these things,
marry a singer-songwriter-type
and forget about me.


postscript:
and please
water my cactus
every month
on the month.

don’t forget
to tell it how good
it’s looking;
it has self-esteem issues.