You Have No Right

You say to try harder because it’s not enough

You say that others do it better

You say that your friend’s daughter did more than me

You say to please get it together

But where have you actually been all my life

You decide to come back now and scream

Because when you left me for the others

I drowned in lack of self esteem

It’s been too many years for you to come back

To pretend like you actually care

I know that you’re only here

Because you couldn’t afford your own health care

So how dare you criticize how I have lived

For I’ve done much better than you

A mother who deserves no name

And didn’t have an ounce of helpful virtue

So I grappled an independent being

When you couldn’t help me through

All the hardships and anxiety and depression

I overcame without you

I’ve progressed my whole life with patience

Because I knew far too well

How it felt to be abandoned

At a New York City subway stairwell

I’m better, I’m smarter, I’m self reliant

When there was no one there I only had myself

As an only child with no dependents

And a mother who only helped herself

Now it’s time for me to go off to college

With the hard work and image I’ve made

And I’ll even mention you in my graduation speech

For forcing me to stop being afraid

A third grader knows no discrimination

Until she’s left in society’s dark hell to suffer

So don’t come back and act like the sail

When the only role you played was the anchor

I say that I am proud, I say that I am confident

I say that I am enough, and that I’m extremely prudent

I say that I’ll get married and have kids

To all of which holds true,

And I’ll make sure to teach them what you forgot

That no matter what, I’ll always love you.