Notes About The Poem

Maturity

I remember how it felt to be young
Hiding a pimple beneath a privacy fence
Built from a hand raised across the cheek
Guarding the mark that seemed to bare a resemblance
To sin, silent and soiled, sending a reflection
The disgusting, nasty symbol of youth

I remember working my first job
And feeling sure there had to be some other
Way to make the money that I needed
For the movies, popcorn and York peppermint patties
Served with a coke that would have more ice
Than it needed, leaving my tongue in a deep freeze

I remember longing for the day when I could say
That I was eighteen and capable of doing
Whatever I pleased, anything that I chose to
Even if that meant leaving behind a teddy bear
A pair of roller skates and a basketball
Pieces of my childhood that I would miss one day

I remember knowing that my mom had prayed
For my happiness and my hopefulness
For the moment when I would fall in love for real
With someone who loved me back in a way
That foretold of a future filled with affection
The kind that love stories were written about

I remember the first kiss, the first date, the first 
“I love you” that was whispered
The way it felt to know I was pretty to someone
Even if I didn’t feel pretty when I looked into a mirror
The moment when I realized that feelings like these
Were wonders, wonderful, wondrous, genuine miracles

I remember how it felt back then
What I can’t remember or tell you about
Is the moment when I became a woman 
Instead of a girl, a woman who knows love
Pain, hope, desperation and worry and fear
No… I don’t remember when I became mature 







Feb. 15, 2021
Copyright © | Year Posted 2021

Poem

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Wolf Avatar
February 15, 2021 at 7:01 PM
Really enjoyed your reflections on 'coming of age.' Perhaps there isn't 'one moment' when one matures... Once it's happened, you know it though. Kudos, Regina. Blessings and Bouyancy, Gershon
Buhagiar Avatar
February 15, 2021 at 8:54 AM
Life make us grown from childhood to maturity. Great memories. ~~
Pandit Avatar
February 15, 2021 at 6:42 AM
These words of introspection relate to every life. Isn't it amazing how we go through the life cycle to grow into who we are!
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