twenty
 
and on the first day
of your twentieth year
may you not miss what you've lost
and may you appreciate
to the fullest extent
what you've gained,
because what's lost is lost
but what's gained is yours
for as long as you can hold it.
 
at the start of your third decade
on this earth
may you care more about the things that matter
and may you let go of those that don't--
people too--
because those that mind don't matter
and those that matter don't mind,
a great mind told me so.
 
upon the completion of your teenage years
may the lessons you've learned
and the people you've loved
never leave your side,
even as that beloved carefree span of time
passes away
like a daffodil's petals
in the winter.
 
as you move on into this scary new stretch
this furlong around the corner
may you learn to love
to truly love
fully and deeply
others and yourself,
such that you may never be ashamed
to write your own blessings.

as you feel yourself growing older
little by little
may age bring wisdom
may wisdom bring life
and may your life inspire poetry.

[happy birthday me...]