Young woman, grow

Young woman, grow powerful.
I do not mean become bombastic

bitter or blindly impassioned.

Rather, grow reasoned and persuasive.

Become dauntless, with your head 

unbowed, resourceful.

Raise children, or gardens,

or bridges, or monuments to knowledge.

Raze impediments or the very hills

if they do not echo 

with the voices of those who cherish

grace and speak

love. Young woman, grow

old and straight-backed as a lighthouse,

wise as time, and impervious 

as mountains.