Teacher

Mother, daughter, sister, friend,
In some well-defined moment
You have been each of these.
No matter which face you wore,
You taught me things of truth.

You taught me about not making excuses.
About being comfortable in my own skin.
You taught me to sign my name in capital letters.

You taught me that my beauty is not
In the texture of my skin,
But in the clarity of my visions.

You taught me that my value is not
In the cleanliness of my house,
But in the virtue of my soul.

You taught me that my strength is not
In keeping my life in order
But in feeding the fire in my belly.

You taught me that my sexuality is not
Defined by my partner,
But by my own capacity to give.