Fourteen Going On Forty

He stood there looking at the glass
Greeted by a kind smile
As future’s face stared back at him
Beyond the mirrored tile

He saw tomorrow’s image
The man he might yet be
Reflection of his hopes and dreams
Past teen reality

He yearned to get there faster
Rush through the next few years
Pace quicker every single day
Save adolescent tears

To wish away his childhood
The pains of growing up
He pushed against the mirror
To drink from that man’s cup

To raise his glass impatiently
He thrashed the threshold so
Wanting to be that person now
Save wasting time to grow

Yet as he beat and wished away
His life, he cracked the glass
To break into the future now
Save building up a past

And then it kind of hit him
The fact that he would be
A half-finished and broken man
If he raced through puberty

For there’s a reason for this time
A teen spends on the earth
To find himself in a safe way
And appreciate his worth

16[Things]9/365 (actually 170/365, dammit) (Photo credit: reallyboring)

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Adolescence

If you ask a teenager anything
There’s one thing they will agree
That the older generation
Don’t have sex but just drink tea
For they think they’re really all too old
And only dare partake
In cordial conversation or
At most a small hand shake

And as for these adolescents’ parents
Well heaven must forbid
The thought of their mums and dads at parties
Come on! Their oldies surely never lived!
And when it comes to sporting prowess,
The games and medals won
The muffin tops and double chins
Suggest those times are now long gone!

Whilst the stories from the old days
Get taken with a pinch of salt
Any idea that a parent comprehends
Is “totes weird” as a default!
And forget empathy and understanding
When parents want the best
For a teen perception takes this to mean
We’ll hound you like a pest

So to all parents rearing teenagers
If you want to still relate
Look at their now and future
For your past is out of date
And smile just oh so quietly
Cos there’s one thing to admit
That years ago you said the same
When you were young and fit!

 

Audio visual:  Please click here http://youtu.be/H33mB-CDAi8

To Adolescence and Beyond

Now is the time for you to go
And find out just who you are.
To have your dreams and hopes and plans
And reach out for your own star.
To believe the world’s your oyster,
Have fun; to live and laugh,
But first and foremost be yourself
And know your heart and hearth
For your heart will guide you daily
As your mind learns more and more
And home’s hearth will always be here
With much warmth and love in store.