I Chose To Be Old Poem by Tsegaye Hailesilassie

I am only a little one
But I chose to be an adult
And to carry the loads
Heavy but wouldn’t hurt my back!

I am only a kid
But I chose to be old
To worry and ponder thoroughly
And not to play, and not to wander
Not to laugh when I could
Not to cry when I should.

I am young but chose to be aged
Or how can I be a kid
When I have to live as ‘the old’
And this a grace from Him I deem it to be
‘To be’ a kid and ‘not to be’ a kid!