To Myself at 17

If I could send a message

to the seventeen-year-old 

version of myself

I’d say 

don’t worry about being beautiful

you’ll never make it

but that won’t be important 

because

all the right people will 

fall under your spell 

and for the rest

they just won’t matter.

You’ll be dangerously engaging 

instead 

much like your dad 

you’ll always be dreaming 

and dragging the world 

behind you 

with nearly everyone frozen in horror

but if just one in a thousand

of your great ideas 

works

they’ll applaud your genius

and foresight. 

So dream big and 

shoot a lot of arrows

so that some can hit the target

and if you find a red button

don’t agonize 

press it with deliberation 

because sometimes

that’s the only way

to find out

what is going to happen.