Being A Child

Being a Child

When I was young, I felt I would never get old Now that I’m old(er) I think back to when I was young Why did I rush so quickly to get old? Oh to be young again…

Jumping in puddles Climbing up trees Building forts Imaginary friends

To look back on my childhood brings me joy Thinking about playing from sun-up to sun-down Tangled hair, sticky fingers, and full of laughter Kids being kids Playing pretend, playing princess Listening to bedtime stories and drifting off to sleep

As a child, I had never ending dreams And saw the sky as endless And now I am grown I am older No more jumping in puddles and climbing up trees No more building forts and imaginary friends No more playing from sun-up to sun-down

Now I look after myself No more asking for permission It’s all my choice All the good and bad that comes with being old(er) Being an adult

But some days I wish I could go back to being a child Seeing the ordinary as magic And magic in the ordinary

Pick up a stick, and it can be anything A captain’s sword used to fight off pirates A pen to doodle in the mud A magic wand to cast an enchanted spell The drum stick used to jam out in your air drum solo I walk by a stick now and just see a stick There is no sword, or wand or drum solo

The excitement burnt out Christmas no longer has the same feeling Every birthday passes feels more somber

All the midday naps I fought Now I wish to have those midday naps back

A lemonade stand will no longer suffice Resume, applications, and interviews Working a 9-5

Soon there will be no more summers to toil Or school breaks Soon there will be bills to pay And worries to be had

Oh to be a kid again Young me don’t rush to get old

Kendall Miller is from Long Island, NY. She is currently an undeclared freshman at Fairfield University looking to declare a major in Psychology and minor in Education. At home she lives with her parents, brother, and dog Clover. Since her dad has always been amazing at writing poems, she was influenced by his interest to give poetry a shot. Now, Kendall is taking Professor Davis’s Poetry I course.

Kendall wrote Being A Child to reflect on her childhood, as many people don’t recognize how quickly time flies by. A person’s childhood is one of the biggest parts of their life so she thought it would be important to emphasize this to others. She hopes you all enjoy her poem and relate to it as much as she does!