Want to ride our bikes?
"When I'm not here"
And you're not there,
for real, this time,
I just think to myself
I don't want to be 16 anymore
you want to know
the funny part?
it's in the irony.
my younger self dreamt
of the freedoms,
the friends,
the fun.
Now I just want to go home
But now home
feels abstract
and like navigating a minefield
it's a vestige of a feeling
that once brought you comfort
And you're not a kid anymore,
you remind yourself.
And now you have problems,
And you're at a loss for solutions.
And you can't get it together,
And neither can the world.
And why can't you just focus
And why can't you just do what you're supposed to?
And why do marriages fail,
And why do people grow apart?
And why do humans loathe themselves?
And destroy everything in their wake
Take for granted what they have
Until it's tried
and cannot possibly continue to give
until it has given all it can
until we look around
and we realize,
everything and everyone around us
feels the exact same way
and why,
why can't we all just go outside?
and ride our bikes
and break into those homes
being constructed on our block
drink capri suns until we get sick
and go home,
but not before we watch the sun go down,
and kiss our parents goodnight
go to bed
and dream of being 16
tired,
but free
--Anon., 18/1/24
Theme : Self, Others -- Coming of Age