Poetry & Writing

You're eighteen! An adult in most of the books You've formed your opinions and settled your looks You've learned how to act and to dance many dances Learned how to be safe and how to take chances You know how to work, you're very meticulous, Silly and thoughtful and sometimes ridiculous. Tattooed yet tender, you have a soft heart And I hope there's still time to make drawings and art And soon, I imagine, you'll move far from home Maybe to Edmonton, England, or Rome. Wherever it is, it's going to be hard But wonderfully worth it; just be on your guard! It's tough to be grown up, with all of the cheaters The liars and worse: disingenuous tweeters Who just want to trick you and make you believe Some things that aren't true. Oh, why do they thieve?! Don't worry. There's good in the big world too Like Nala and sunsets and skies that are blue. There's people who help when you need it the most There's good people born in the Ivory Coast. So focus on good, resist what is bad Life should be simple, (just like your dad). Keep focussed and strive to be best at your craft Yes, even when you have to manage short-staffed. That's how you get noticed, how you get promoted; How you find the ones who'll be madly devoted. Unless they are me, who thinks things traditional And loves with a love that's for you, unconditional. Love, your godfather, Justin

I like that your birthday is in December It's a time to reflect and renew and remember The good things that happened the past happy year The things that provided us joy and some cheer For me, it was great, I explored the U.S. Your trailer got used; it was a success I saw lots of places and met lots of faces The people were friendly with lots of embraces But that's not important, it's you I'm so curious What made you so happy, euphoric, or furious? Your life's been a myst'ry this past little while Have you gone off to school or walked down the aisle? I think of this time as the little Dark Ages With you riding on dragons and talking to sages Your brother's a knight; the damsels, your sisters (Though not in distress, just maybe some blisters) Your dad is a hermit, concocting a potion Your mom is concocting a sales promotion And you're swooping in, your steed breathing fire You're roasting the Vikings and saving the shire Then all will be peaceful (though shrouded in mist) And folks will be happy to simply exist The darkness is over, the plague, too, has ended The friends that divided will all be re-friended And with the new age that brings safety and light We'll focus on goodness and justice, not spite And remember, in idleness or feats so momentous I will love you and cheer you 'cause you are tremendous Love, your godfather, Justin

This year you've endured some pain. And I'm not talking 'bout this pandemic again Or challenging classes in this year's campaign No, it's the fish swimming over your cephalic vein It's cute and it's blue and it's there till you die. Just go ask your dad and his bug that can't fly. I s'pose he must love it, so I can see why You decided to cover your arm with blue dye. Though it does make me ask, is this just the first? Has fishy been quenching your blue inky thirst? Or are SLEEVES in your future? They are the worst! I shouldn't have said that, but they can't be reversed! But there was much more besides the tattoo; When we came from Drumheller, you welcomed us through On grass in your sweats with your hair all askew Yet, you're still like Gaston and I'm your Lafoo Your number one cheerleader, I'll always be: Whether rocking as Bertha or biology; Unpacking and pricing meticulously Or acting and singing and dancing – all three! This momentous year, where you plan out your future Do you want to make movies or doctor with sutures? You can't stay at home, turn into a moocher And you can't live with Sawyer to become a smoocher Grade 12 is so hard! Decisions aplenty Where foresight is nowhere near fair twenty-twenty And boyfriends are tricky, 'cause what, in the event he – Does naught, do you train with a famed cognoscenti – Who lives far away, perhaps in Quebec Or London, New Zealand, Republic of Czech? I don't know, but I do know what might save your neck As you start on your journey, your roaming, your trek: Find what you love; become better than Them 'Cause Them's awful good at bio and chem And acting and singing and all that mayhem You have to work hard to become that clear gem And then when you do, you'll look back and smile The pain and the tears were all really worthwhile Your stiff competition is back by a mile The rest are all heaped in a substandard pile So put your head down and push till the end. It hurts, but it's really the way to ascend. And know that whatever you do, Even sleeves could not lessen how much I love you. Love, your godfather