When I was younger

I was afraid of growing up

I didn’t like the thought of

Getting wrinkles,

Sunspots,

Grey Hair;

But mostly I feared the responsibility

The approaching finish line for childhood

The beginning of adolescence,

Of teenagerdom, adulthood.

I was not an ignorant child,

I knew a lot about the world

Even for kids at my age,

But that meant that I knew about

Poverty,

Genocide,

Corruption,

And I grew up faster.

As I’ve grown,

Because I’ve learned,

Because of my experiences with

Bullying,

School,

Friends,

Volunteer-work;

I have changed.

I learned how to cope with anger and stress,

I learned how to live with compassion

I learned how to help others in need.

I am on the peak of some strange new era

Adulthood.