When I was 23 I wrote a poem that got published on the editorial page of the Sunday paper. (I was given copies). Every year from sixth grade to Senior year, my daughter took a copy of that paper to school for Women Authors Day. (She was born five years after I wrote it). That poem was apropriate for when I wrote it, and all the years she took it to school, and is still apropriate today.
Know The Facts
You know my name but you don't know me.
now, isn't it time you tried,
to know me as I really am
so I'll no longer have to hide?
Ignorance breeds slander,
and in a small town news travels fast.
Please don't judge my future
by mistakes I made in the past.
Most of your rumors have no basis,
from lies they were created
to satisfy your need for gossip,
and keep your tongues well sated.
So know the facts before you speak
of something that may not be true.
The next victim of ignorance
could very well be you.