Children love to play Grown Up
And choose bright, pretty dresses
They slap and dab loads of makeup
And strut like Greek empresses
They gab and gossip and chitter
As they parent their dolls
And sprinkle loads of cool glitter
As dolls walk down the halls
And as they copy our weird ways
We smile and nod with bliss
Their bumbling trips light up our days
Joy, don’t get beyond this
Because when we are real goody
And treat others like gold
They stop to sulk, and be moody
And miracles unfold
For then they ignore Dad’s back aches
Deadlines and piling bills
And parenting and all it takes
And say Growing up thrills!
This might be barbaric of me to say
But I don’t like those who have to have their way
Grown up bullies who yell “you’re fired and such”
Misogynist pigs who are simply out of touch
The birth certificate is kept
By your mother
The I. D. Card is kept
By your husband
Because you're afraid
Of losing it
Then you're not really
Grown up yet.
I look up to the sky
Remembering past dreams
Wondering where the dreamer went
Looking back to the past.
Having lived and loved
Sacrificed and gave everything to those who won my heart
Now I look at this moment wondering what the hell I did.
Sold my dreams for a broken kiss and
a hundred thousand times
Looking to the future,
Wondering where to start,
Looking at the past dreams,
Looking to the sky
Missing old loves,
missing old things.
Wondering what can I do to find who I am?
I look at the world now with jaded eyes.
Wishing for a good thing to last,
Wondering if it ever could.
Wondering how the world is so cruel
To break things down, build them up, destroying love and hate like a toy in a dream.
When you see a skunk that’s smelly,
Hold your nose and hug your belly.
When you see a grizzly bear,
Picture him in underwear.
When you see a sneaky spider,
Offer him some apple cider.
When you see a big old rat,
Show it to the neighbor’s cat.
When you see the dentist’s drill,
You be strong and don’t get ill.
When you see a rattle snake,
Cook it up with shake and bake.
When your mommy makes you mad,
Step right up and say you’re sad.
When your dad gets way too loud,
Remind him how you make him proud.
When the family just feels not right,
Give big hugs and hold them tight.
It takes some time to grow a bit,
Stand real tall and don’t you sit.
Take the things that you dislike the best.
And throw them out with all the rest.
Growing up is hard to do,
But no one does as well as you.
eternal infancy
enjoyed all his life
indulgent parents
a grown up baby
knowing no strife
odd predicament
I have grown up
with my mother’s hatred
and my father’s disgust.
I have grown up
In the shadow of my brother
Who couldn’t be anything but perfect.
I have grown up
like a stray
I have grown up
I have survived.
I have grown up
I am alive.
Broken, bleeding and hurt
I have grown up.
Against all odds
I have grown up.
ME BEING A GROWN-UP
Every day my life was changing
I didn't realize how fast it was happening
Sometimes I wonder where all the time go
It seems like I was a child not so long ago
In this life, I was always so busy
Growing up in the big city
It seemed in my life I was always trying to catch up
But it seemed like it was always hard to make the big buck
My life always seemed to be hard to manage
It always felt like I was at a disadvantage
As I grow older I ask myself when will this life end
Or is there a way it could be extended
I always knew I had a great family on this journey
But getting older I still have to worry
Being a grown-up has finally arrived
And I went through my childhood and I did survive
When we were children
We are taught the difference between right and wrong.
Everything seemed black or white,
And relationships were strong.
The children were respectful,
And did as they were told
If they were naughty
Both parents would scold
They told them to behave,
Or they would be in strife
The children usually obeyed
Because they loved a peaceful life
The life of children should be happy
And carefree
To enjoy the black and whiteness
Of truth, trust and honesty
To be loved and give love in return.
Be diligent and work hard.
This is the way to live.
To give your best
And the rest
At the end of the day
It will help you cope with
The many Shades of Grey.
Mommy, Mommy, candy cigarettes!
look how many I have got
Then there are some other brands
Can you tell me, What is pot?
I was a ghost
in your eyes
someone to forget
someone to leave behind
someone to abort
from your life
someone to hurt
someone to lie...
I was a child
in my eyes
someone to love
someone to like
someone who needed you
at night
someone who deserved
to be alive...
I was just a number
to this world
someone to train
someone to mold
someone to break
someone to fold
someone who could make them gain
more gold...
I was a girl
in my heart
full of questions
soft and smart
walking alone
falling apart
solely owner
of my art...
Now I'm the mother
now I'm the adult
learning from mistakes
going strong
filling up my pockets
with what I couldn't get before
no needing to explain myself
anymore.
Jessica
Here it is,
The edge.
The space below you is,
Just is.
Fall?
You will not fall,
You will float.
You've found a peace within you.
Here it is,
The pledge.
God's trace, bellow nuance.
Toughness.
Fall?
Yes, you're falling.
Not floating.
You're bound to flee thin youth.
Here it is,
The edge.
Change.
Grown Miss Muffet put “tuffet” on display
family quickly denounced her as a stray
Muffet found bike rider
who called himself Spider
and, after curds, he and she sped a-whey
May 12, 2023
and the difference is
that i remember
i remember
what love is meant to feel like
i remember
how it made me feel inside
i remember
what felt right
i also remember
what felt wrong
yes, the difference now is i remember
and i'm a stronger person than i was
because i remember what i remember
AP: Honorable Mention 2023
Dear Grown Up Me,
do we still have monsters in the closet?
Are there wiggle worms under the bed
waiting to grab us?
How old are we now?
Will I be pretty when I grow up?
Will I feel pretty?
I am scared because no one saves me
Every night there are creatures floating in and out
I see them but my parents cannot
When we get older will I outgrow this?
Sincerely, little Me
Dear Little Me,
You will grow up to be empathetic and caring.
This means you will be kind to everyone.
You are pretty now.
You just don’t know it yet.
You need to look in the mirror and see yourself pretty.
Look at those gorgeous eyes! They are beautiful!
Your curly hair is great!
We will always see ghosts, but we will call them spirits later.
I cannot wait until you get here, and you will.
Sincerely, Grown Up Me
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