Dreams feel like so long ago.
Wishes that left me disappointed.

I wanted to be a princess once.
I told the other girls in my class.
They laughed and said,
“You’re not pretty enough!”
And so that dashed that dream away.

I wanted to fly once,
Like an angel with graceful wings.
I told a bird my wish one day,
And it cooed and flew away.

I wanted to be a mother once,
To have a baby all my own.
I told my mom,
And she said, “You better not plan on raising plastic,
Because that’s all you’ll ever know.”

I wanted to be with my daddy once,
To be by his side forever.
I told that to him on the phone and he said,
“Stay with your mom,
I’d rather be alone.”

I wanted to be a teacher once,
To teach never to make fun of others.
I told my teacher that.
She patted my head and told me,
“It would take forever.”

I wanted to be a dancer once,
To leap and be adored.
I told that to the dance instructor,
And after that I was ignored.

I wanted to have a friend once,
To feel accepted and not alone.
So I went up and asked a girl,
“Do you want to be friends?”
She looked at me and rolled her eyes.
(I think she thought I was kidding.)

I wanted to be loved once,
To be wrapped in something that would never break.
I told that to a boy and he said,
“There wasn’t much at stake.”

So now I’m sitting.
Alone on this cold bench,
Because I no longer have dreams to hold,
And I can’t move another inch.