I’ve watched my sister
Grow up
Develop into
The young woman she is today

I’ve watched my sister
Listen to Backstreet Boys and Insync
Make houses out of legos
Have weekly lemonade stands

I’ve watched my sister
Play with her American Girl Dolls
Build fairy houses
Write mystical stories

I’ve watched my sister
Go on her first date
Have her first boyfriend
Go to her first dance

I’ve watched my sister
Go to her first party
Have heartbreak
Get straight A’s

I’ve watched my sister
Skip class
Smoke a blunt
Take a shot

I’ve watched my sister
Lose her virginity
Sneak out at night
Pop a molly

I’ve watched my sister
Degrade herself
Subject herself to men
Give in to peer-pressure

I’ve watched my sister
Drive off with strange men
Mom running after her in her underwear
Risk her life for love

I’ve watched my sister
Be taken advantage of
Heart broken, money stolen
Move on to the next one

I’ve watched my sister
Inject herself
Needle in the skin
Off to another universe

I've watched my sister
Party in East Oakland
Someone got shot
Thank God it wasn't her

I’ve watched my sister
Run away from her family
Up all night
Maybe she’s dead

I’ve watched my sister
Drop to a 2.0 GPA
Give no s---s
It’s not like college matters anyway

I’ve watched my sister
Almost die
Ecstasy
That’s one harsh drug

I’ve watched my sister
Say she wants to change
That she will change
That she can change

I’ve watched my sister
Get pregnant at 17
Abortion clinic
Did you know you can almost die from anesthesia?

I’ve watched my sister
Give in
Change
From that young girl
Playing with her American Girl Dolls
Into a teenager
Overcome by the pressures of reality
Unable to pull herself out
Stuck in the drug, alcohol, sex mindset
Of the new generation

I’ve watched my sister
Grow up
Develop into
The young woman she is today

And I’ve done nothing
To help her
To stop her
To tell her no

If only it wasn’t too late