When I was young, I was full of life,

Imagination leaked out of my skull.

The boundaries were limitless,

while the dreamy days never stopped.

 

When I was young, I was nobody.

Hidden in plain sight by invisibility powers

Or leisurely levitating in lavish laboratories.

Any superpower of my choosing mixed into my DNA.

 

When I was young, a carney was who I was.

The black top hat reached the porch cover,

while the cane danced along my fingertips.

The da-da-dadada-dadada-da-dadada-dada

on a constant loop inside my brain.

 

When I was young, a sailor was who I was.

I roughed the roaring seas as rain fell like icicles.

Dodging canons, while avoiding the gooey, green sand

was how I became the Captain of my ship.

 

When I was young, I was masked as a spy.

Plastic guns, walkie-talkies, handcuffs, and more

were locked securely in my briefcase.

Code names and a new language disguised our speech.

Barring those, who wanted to know our secrets.

 

When I was young, I was masked as a Princess.

Hidden away in the deep, dark, dangerous woods.

My Achilles heel being true love, but Prince Charming never came.

Ultimately having to defend the castle against monsters, dragons, and trolls.

 

When I was young, I lived as an  architect.

Shiney, metallic strips, littered the backyard.

Going through metamorphoses to become a club house

or piled high to become a troll’s hideaway.

 

When I was young, I lived as an explorer.

Standing atop mountains that touched the clouds,

searching for lost treasures

while escaping the clutches of angry villagers.

 

When I was young, I was anyone and everyone.

I decided who I was and breathed life into that persona.

I was the Peter Pan of my days, now I am a girl having to face

reality.