Growing up too fast,
necessity of the life they’ve led:
them, us, me.
State of serious situation after serious situation
turns a child into a man, a woman, a being
stress on top of stress
and endless loop-da-loop of anxiety
on track to chaos
and utter loss of control.
Youth turned old in a matter of years
and they’re only eleven.

Fastforward: child turned adult,
already was far too soon,
but rather than dwell and bitter
they, us, me
we found ways to awaken the inner child
in all of us.
Music, games, movies, shows;
outings with friends
we never got to have:
painting, sleepovers, midnight car talks
about nonsense and everything that doesn’t matter
at least not in adulthood, but in childhood
it’s everything.