Acting My Age

“You’re not a giddy teenager So why can’t you act you’re age?” I looked at him heartbroken Then my body shook in a rage “Being passionate about life Means I am acting like a child? You demand that I be demure Does that mean being meek and mild? No, no, my dear, I want to shout I want to be crazy and mad To stick my head out the window Belt out love songs that make me glad I want to let my body move To a belly dance drumming sound I want to feel young and alive Make love without hushing the sound On days when I water the yard I want to get wet to the core As I point the hose to the sky The wetness makes me crave for more I want to see my sun catcher Make the rainbows dance on my wall And have multicolored sweet dreams I want to wander through them all When you take me for a long ride I’ll let the wind dance with my hair I want the music to be loud What if people just stop and stare? I want to laugh till my sides hurt And the tears are just streaming down I want people to be happy So I play the part of the clown They say life begins at forty Now I know that it does for me Don’t you dare try to bring me down You know this 'girl' needs to feel free Peter Pan’s not the only one Who will stay forever this young He’s got me for good company You know, we have songs yet unsung So…please, if I am eccentric And acting a little insane Remember that I’m passionate So please, I beg you, don’t complain And when I want to be ravished Or to play a naughty love game Don’t say that was for way back then Don’t you dare try to make me tame I desire to ingest life At a mad and frenetic pace I am desperate to feel the rain Splashing down on my upturned face You know that I must be sun kissed And to spray on coconut spray To do handstands in seawater And to bask in this sun drenched day I want to cry when things move me I want to feel, to taste, to touch I want to giggle like a girl When something does please me so much I’m sorry I disappoint you Sorry I don’t act forty five But before this life is over I want to feel vibrant…alive! Yet, I will try not to shame you Try to tone it down just a bit But my dear, this fact you must know In your box, I surely don’t fit Yes, you may think I’m 'immature' And I may act much like a teen But I’d rather be wild and free Than captive to rules like a queen." Eileen Manassian Ghali