Rachael Kilgour - Family Secrets

Family Secrets

My arms are too long for my body
And my hands are too big for my arms But my dad
Part man, part orangutan
Held me close and he kept me from harm So why waste my time
Wishing that I were proportionate?

And my skin is too thin for my family How they laugh at my sensitive ways Whether I’m happy or sad
I cry just like my dad
But I am proud to let it be named
I may be soft but I am not ashamed

And isn’t it brave?
To take what you’ve been given The parts you kept hidden
The traits you denied To find a strength
In what looked like a weakness Take your old family secrets And wear them with pride Mmmm

So if your cheeks burn red when you’re nervous If your hair curls tight in the heat
Know we all came from someplace
You’ve got your great-grandmother’s face And walk the earth
With your ancestors' steady feet

And isn’t it brave?
To take what you’ve been given The parts you kept hidden
The traits you denied To find a strength

In what looked like a weakness Take your old family secrets And wear them with pride