Youth

I don't like growing up.

Golden youth passed you by

some things never last

Leave your glove above the box

Of pictures from your past

Faded like the dimples

On the ball you’ll never pass

Deflated like the hopes and dreams

that every adult has

 

not had

has

 

buried deep inside

far from exhumation

inearthed in dirt neglected

due to maturation

 

Go ahead sit in that chair

Cower over that screen

The dirt don’t miss you at all

Or your ripped blue jeans

The only clouds you see

Is the vexed dust from your keyboard keys

and the light in which you soak

isn’t natural luminosity

 

and the sun says, “hey remember me?

I throw pebbles at your window

In the form of rays

But day in and day out

I’m rejected by your shades

Listen, kid I do forgive you

We all lose sight sometimes

And when you’re ready to reunite

Just open up those blinds”

 

Who decided maturity

Meant dark rooms, coffee, and board meetings,

monotony, long days, and even longer evenings

 

When I grow up I want to be a kid

By that I mean full of carelessness and innocence

I’ll never stray from happiness

Cuz it emanates from youthfulness

 

A light to keep me safe at night

Down the hall and down with fright

ambitions spark and dreams ignite

the schedules of our routine life

 

so if you feel the same as me

please put down your blackberry

pick up the ball and pick some teams

sweat and sprint and scrape your knees

I’ll play any place you care to meet

in any field, court, or street

I’m begging you to break routine

And spend a day outside with me                        

 

and as streaks of color usher dotted skies

it’s time to issue our goodbyes

I want to thank those of you for showing up

because life’s too short for growing up

Reviews

[Dennis Sholler]

That stanza with the sun . . . I can't handle it. Too good

[Rae Emeral]

This is absolutely amazing! I love this! Especially the lines, "When I grow up I want to be a kid" and "Life's too short for growing up". This is probably one of my favorite poems I have read on this site! You have an amazing talent! The rhyming, the flow, and the words are simply amazing! I look forward to reading more of your work. Awesome poem! :)
~Rae Emeral