To Be Tall-Short
by Esme Collier, Dedicated to her Yia Yia “Thank you for teaching us how to stand tall, no matter our height.”
To be tall-short,
You must tower over others with your wit and sarcasm,
Sneaking innocently-seeming, but biting comments into conversations,
With a knowing smile on your face.
To be tall-short,
You must do things no one like you has done before,
Like live in Cuba, help build a war plane, or raise ten children.
To be tall-short,
You must choose a partner who will let you hold the reins,
But who will grab hold of them when you lose control,
And then pass them back to you with humility.
To be tall-short,
You must surround yourself with your loved ones,
Caring fiercely for their well-being,
Protecting them against even themselves.
To be tall-short,
You must never forget,
And never give up,
For you have found something beautiful in this life,
And it will live on through the generations.