An Awkward Age

I remember growing older
I remember ages five to ten
I remember being slapped on playgrounds
Walking and never knowing when
…they would come
Never a place to run

It’s what all the teachers call
an awkward age
Well I wish that I
Could find out why
I was
…so uncool
And I didn’t know
why I was hated so
I never even met them
“It’s just the way kids are,” they say
“Grow a spine, wish it away.”

I remember growing older
I remember ages twelve to eighteen
I remember waking marked and bloody
And always wishing I could not be seen
…by a soul
crawling into a hole

Well it’s what all the doctors call
an awkward age
and they call them zits
or pimples leaving pits
but then
…pain is pain
And the scars it left
and all the marks I’ve kept
are more than on my face
Into my soul the phrase I’ll heap
“Beauty’s more than just skin deep

I remember growing older
I remember being one and forty
I remember her being in the bathtub
with bad pen marks darkly
…on her arms
crying over all the harms

Now its what I will choose to call
an awkward age
when her mind did start
to fall apart
and I
…grew so strong
And I managed to
do what I had to do
Never mind my own needs
My mighty shoulders may be sore
but I can always take on more

I remember growing older

I remember ages five to ten

I remember being slapped on playgrounds

Walking and never knowing when

they would come

Never a place to run

It’s what all the teachers call
an awkward age
Well I wish that I
Could find out why
I was
so uncool
And I didn’t know
why I was hated so
I never even met them
“It’s just the way kids are,” they say
“Grow a spine, wish it away.”

I remember growing older

I remember ages twelve to eighteen

I remember waking marked and bloody

And always wishing I could not be seen

by a soul

crawling into a hole

Well its what all the doctors call

an awkward age

and they call them zits

or pimples leaving pits

but then

pain is pain

And the scars it left

and all the marks I’ve kept

are more than on my face

Into my soul the phrase I’ll heap

“Beauty’s more than just skin deep”

I remember growing older

I remember being one and forty

I remember her being in the bathtub

with bad pen marks darkly

on her arms

crying over all the harms

Now its what I will choose to call

an awkward age

when her mind did start

to fall apart

and I

grew so strong

And I managed to

do what I had to do

Never mind my own needs

My mighty shoulders may be sore

but I can always take on more