Like You

~ dedicated to Grandpa ~

Mom says I look just like you:
Tall, slim, and have dimples too.
Dad says I have your warm smile:
Charming and always in style.
But I glance at the mirror,
And think they made an error.

I do not see you in me,
With your hunchback and torn jeans.
Blacksmith I will never be,
Laboring at the machines.
A pure me is all I see:
A young girl in her mid-teens.

I will never be like you,
Poor and never had TV.
I will never be like you,
Unschooled and with no degree.
For I have never met you,
And you had never met me.

You are not in the mirror.
On the wall, I do not see you,
Who worked endless days and nights.
On the wall, I do not see you,
Who served, stripped of human rights.
There must have been an error.

I do not see you but me,
The student who earns straight A’s.
I do not see you but me,
The daughter who earns Mom’s praise.
I do not see you but me,
The young girl who dreams and plays.

However, I am growing
Into a woman, they say.
So strong yet easy-going,
Who lives her dreams every day,
Who stands with her pride glowing,
Brushing all worries away.

I have not met this woman,
But I’ll greet her once I can.
I believe she’s just like you:
Prudent, kind, and older too.