Tuck your chin to your chest 

And walk quickly 

Tuck your elbows to your sides 

Shut your ears 

Stop the shoulders 

From brushing against each other

Refrain from getting sweat on, spat at

Or tripped 

From the playground to the big house

And the womb to the tomb 

The chaos of your peers 

Will drive you

Insane

Here she is, complaining about

Homework and grades but

That party and that guy that she wishes she didn't do

are what's going to get her up that ladder

At that table

And here he goes 

So duck your head

Because he's tossing his textbook in the air

And his eyes are glazed over

Like a cat playing with yarn

But shield your eyes

If you want to go to college you can't 

Be like them

Those people

With the showy clothes 

And the weekend plans

No, you're a young adult.

Not a teenager. 

And if young adults party well then

Grow up. 

Shove through the crowd but

Don't look around. 

Hide your eyes.

Don't look anywhere but

Straight ahead. 

Stay forward. 

But if the world stands still

Don't stick to it, 

Tuck your elbows. 

And when you can

Keep going.