Your Day

Your grandparents are in town
Your hoping gravity will pull down
all the wrinkles from your graduation gown
in time for your speech tonight.

And regardless of how long you've known this day was on its way,
you still cannot believe that its today.
Your heart is beating harder than it has in a long time
and you know today is your day to shine.

All your friends are here
and your mom can't hold her tears.
The ceremony is drawing near
and you wonder what your love is thinking now.

And regardless of how long you've known this day was on its way,
you still cannot believe that its today.
Your heart is beating harder than it has in a long time
and you know today is your day to shine.

Some might call this pressure, but it's pain.
You rock back and forth like you're insane
and your husband says the doctor's on his way
and that you're doing great.

And regardless of how long you've known this day was on its way,
you still cannot believe that its today.
Your heart is beating harder than it has in a long time
and you know today is your day to shine.

Months of pain up to your chest.
You know you've given it your best.
And you're sure it's time to rest,
but what will it feel like?

And regardless of how long you've known this day was on its way,
you still cannot believe that its today.
Your heart is beating harder than it has in a long time
and you know today is your day to shine.

Wow

Your first word was "wow!"
Let's keep that going somehow.

Under Pressure

Let the pressure build,
let the pressure build,
let the pressure build!
I do my best work
under pressure.

Plan out what you would say if you only had the chance,
then waste your only chance.
And tell your self that no one ever listens,
no one ever listens to your silent rants.

Let the pressure build,
let the pressure build,
let the pressure build!
I do my best work
under pressure.

Make a list and check it zero times
until the day that everything is due.
And stay busy enough all that time before
to convince yourself that they did this to you.

Let the pressure build,
let the pressure build,
let the pressure build!
I do my best work
under pressure.

Scatter all your clothes across the floor
and stack all of your dishes in the sink
and christen it a cosmic cleaning party
when you finally clean it up so you can think.

Let the pressure build,
let the pressure build,
let the pressure build!
I do my best work
under pressure.

Find thirty books that you would like to read
and check them out yourself all at one time
and read them while you listen to an audiobook
like it's a race to fill up your whole mind.

Let the pressure build,
let the pressure build,
let the pressure build!
I do my best work
under pressure.

And someday take a break and just sit down

and think about how life has been so crazy.

And realize this has only been a warm-up

and now it's time to really be amazing.

Let the pressure build,
let the pressure build,
let the pressure build!
I do my best work
under pressure.

What About Ourselves

We make our homes beautiful
to sell them.
And what about ourselves?

Surprise

When you wake up in the morning with a list of things to do,
and a sleepy-headed husband says that there's a gift for you,
and that it's bigger than a breadbox and that it is upstairs,
and you look but cannot find an item waiting anywhere,
but you go outside to check if he forgot it in the car,
and you find a different car where you thought that you had parked…
well then jump up and down and turn around and quick run back inside
and run to the guest room and find your sleeping sister! That's a great surprise!

Hollow

I'll hide you in my bosom

like an owl in a hollow,

and you will find it full and warm

with sustenance to swallow.

She Is Sleeping

There she is, so fast asleep.
Her arms are limp, her head sunk deep
upon the sheets. So let us keep
the lights down low. Don't make a peep.
Just catch your breath and let her sleep.

Pictures in a Box

We found your pictures in a box.
After all, they were not lost.
Your bright red hair, your sweater vest–
it seems you saved your smile best.

I Am a Woman Full

I am a woman full of
agonizing empathy and
welling convictions,
and I don't know what to say or do.

Beautiful and Strong

Each woman that works
at the pet food store
weighs about two models,
quite possibly more.
She swings fifty pounds of chicken feed
like nothing to her shoulder.
I think "You're beautiful and strong!"
Maybe I should have just told her.

The Downtown Library

We went to the downtown library.

It's much bigger than the one

down the street from our house,

and likely thrice as fun.

Four times as many stacks,

and magazines in racks,

and a space-age check-out scanner.

I can't wait to go back!

There Once Was a Baby

There once was a baby
with a bunch of wavy hair
and eyes so round
they would stop and stare.
And her cheeks were smooth
and her nose was neat.
She would smile so big
and show off her two teeth.
But I would like that baby to know
that being cute isn't what it's about
and for the rest of her life she needs to be
more concerned with the inside than out.