And if I had to go back
I would tell her
Not to worry
About that boy
Who loved words of romance
More than the quiet reality of love
I would tell her
Not to worry
About that guy
Who made her second guess herself
Or that she was a chore ‘too much’
I would tell her instead
To choose herself first
And to not let anyone
Make her feel inadequate
I would tell her
That if only she had waited
The cold nights would be worth it
Because one day
One day
The love she deserved would come along
Quieter and more assured than anything else
She had ever experienced
And I would smile at her and tell her
I told you so
Because everything then would make sense