How to Raise a Queen

They asked me,

how can I raise a Queen

when I’ve never been one myself?

Low self-esteem

Had me sleeping with more than just one

Counting 5 kids later, with fathers on leave

How could I conceive

or grab the essence,

of such a royal presence?

To teach a child watching

With a brain like a sponge

When I’ve plunged into

hell and came back with demons

ran with heathens

and whores

and had to fight them too.

They ask how can I possibly

Without awkwardly

Being hypocritical

Teach a girl to be a Queen

without it seeming

fictional.

When I didn’t love myself

Till my health compromised

And I couldn’t be myself

So I wore a disguise

And guys would take advantage

I spent days getting faded

How can I teach her to love,

when I’m so jaded?

How can I teach her to value herself,

more than gold

when I was walking around pregnant at 15 years old?

And they ask me these questions as if I can’t provide an answer

Trying to spread their negative vibes like cancer

But I sit back and smile

While never minding their critique

Wait for the questions to stop

And then I proceed to speak.

Yeah I’ve ran the streets,

 with the good, bad, and evil

it’s taught me to recognize the plight of my people

laid with more than one man

and brought life to creation

it showed me to perfect the art

of building a nation.

Not to mention, the disguise I wore

It benefitted me because

It forced me to look inside myself

To find out who I was

I ran with the hardest criminals

Thugs and all

Taught me how to live my life

Based on Universal Law

Taught me how we all have flaws

And I know she watched me struggle

Watched me get hurt

Taught her how to be resilient

When she watched me rise from the dirt

taught her how to love herself first

you see I’ve never failed

I’ve only learned life’s lessons

And used them to avail

I teach her everything I learn in life

And how to chase her dreams

don’t let the obstacles intervene,

that’s how I raise a Queen.

-Hatshepsut Amun Re