Adolescence (C) 6-12-2011 Poem by Zahir Kijani

Where did it all go I’m seventeen goin on eight
I’m feelin’ great but it’s hard to fathom the time that has passed
From watchin the Rugrats and Looney Tunes cartoons
To bein categorized as a grown man, someone else is feelin this too

I used to sit back and chat with Safire as a kid
Tellin him all of the wondrous things that I did
As if he didn’t know, he resided inside of my mind
I changed his name a couple times, but Max was the name that would stick
From creating an intangible entity that formed into me
To writing a book about him, I guess he was the greatest friend to me
But the title of the book isn’t the adventures of Max
It’s entitled The mind of a man wishin he had his childhood back

It’s crazy that only a few days I was at my grandparents spendin the night
To cryin in my room hopin that my Grandpa’s alright
Because my grandmother’s no longer there to cater to his every need
Wakin up to sweet succulent biscuits, she always looked for someone to feed
And through greed and selfishness I deemed her to be immortal
So when she fell through that portal and left her life as a person
I blamed her for being selfish no matter how much it was hurtin,
But I’ll see her again someday but for now I’ll keep workin.

I wish I didn’t have to feel this way,
Everyday I think about world issues and will I live to see May
Or 2028, how long exactly will I live on this Earth
Will I ever find someone to love me and know what I’m worth
Treat me like I did, to her, lookin out the same iris
To holdin me knowin that truthfully I’m priceless
And whatever I did she’d have my back no matter what
Feels like I’m tryna see straight through a shattered cup.

Because back in the day my biggest worry
Was if the next episode of Arthur would hurry
Or if summer would ever come, school was sickenin
But now that I’m leavin I kinda wish it didn’t end
My trials and tribulations at least made my livin style good
But nothing can change the fact that I can’t get back my childhood