The Difference Between Twenty-Two and Seventeen

If I met my 17-year-old self while writing "Can't Fight the Moonlight"

 

Stefanie, listen to me

Damn, Dad’s right      I do scowl a lot

 

Ok, ok, ok, I forget how sensitive I am

 

You don’t look too thrilled to see me

What, the gut?

Yeah, you’re still going to have the gut in five years

But that’s not why I’m here, so stop changing the subject—

 

No, you won’t have a boyfriend in five years

Trust me

A boyfriend will be the least of your problems

Crushes will be bad enough—

 

You don’t know who Robert Pattinson is?   Who is he?

Stefanie, all you need to know is one day you won’t be able to stop thinking of him

Now, would you PLEASE let me to get to the bottom of why I’m here?

 

I don’t know how I got here either

All I know is that I thought I was going to have trouble at the gate

But the security guard just asked me why I wasn’t wearing my school uniform Nuff said.

 

Alright, I’m here because of your story

Yeah, you’re gonna write better stuff later too

You’re gonna love what you’re going to be writing in two years, never mind five

 

What about those years in between?

 

 

 

…Call it your metamorphous years.

Those are the years where you’re gonna be developing in your little literary cocoon

 

 

NOW.

 

Your story is cute

Flat out adorable

Don’t you love the part where Marian’s at Mahina’s house

And she turns to leave and she steps on a condom wrapper?

And you thought of that! That little piece of comic genius is yours!

 

 

…No, Stefanie. He’ll never see it. And he’ll never be Frank.

 

I’m sorry, sweetie.

 

 

Stefanie, look at me.

Look at me. Or at the dot on our noses. Close enough.

He isn’t worth your time. Or your tears.

Wait, I shouldn’t have said that.

 

Why? Because you need to write this story.

You’re not out of the woods yet. And you’re not due out for a little while longer.

When? You’ll find out

How? You’ll find out

Why?

 

Because you promised him.

 

Stefanie, I came here to tell you to write this story

And not to change a thing

As much as you’re crinkling your nose in your way

As much as you hate crying over your keyboard like freakin’ Diane Keaton

I can’t tell you to change a thing about this story.

It won’t be magnificent

It won’t be your best

It won’t keep you in love with him

But telling you to change your story

Is the proverbial house built upon sand

 

And I need you to be my rock.

 

 

 

 

Reviews

[raining]

Man, I really liked this poem. The whole perspective thing between then and now, aand the conversaTION IS SO BELIEVABLE AND COGENT. tHANK YOU FOR WRITING THIS. (oops i hit caps lock again)

And I am 56 and my girlfriend met someone else after nearly five years, told me about him day before yesturday and it hurts just as much now as when I was young. "Okay Keith... it isnt about you.... just comment on the poem and leave yourself out of every conversation"....oh yeah, I forgot again didn't I?

bye raining

[shandi]

Soooo creative! And you were so nice to your younger self! I enjoyed this verrrry much! Thank you!

[Raef C. Boylan]

I pretend to timetravel in my head all the time - unlike you, I scold my younger self for not making more of an effort to improve its writing. It gets me angry haha.
As other people have said, the conversation is plausible and well-written. As a poetic concept, it's intriguing and entertaining, and you carry it off really well.
I liked the warm ending too.
Thanks for sharing this with us.

[Drew Wade]

this was great. this was urgent, which was funny because there's no way seventeen year-old steph is gonna change anything.

I think it's funny and also a little bit eye opening that your younger self is your rock. Most people think their younger self is just an immature goon, and you are completely different.. you trust the wisdom of your seventeen year-old self. which is awesome.

so keep it up. don't change, not that I think you will.

[Brjden (Bridge-Den) Cre..]

I agree with Taylor a bit..... I love the premise, but if you were to make a clear distinction of who's talking to who, I think it would flow better. Great imagination(as always), and I love your diction that you present! It's always true to life and I can tell it's true to yourself as well! Good pen....

[Taylor H]

this was really good, but i got confused on who was speaking. great job though