Growing Up

There was a time, once,
When I was surrounded by love,
So strong that it blocked out all troubles,
shielding me from the harshness of reality.
And I was always happy,
As happy as can be.

But that was years ago,
A lifetime long gone by,
Cocooned in the safety of a child's mind,
When my biggest worries were of candy and toys.
And life seemed so very simple,
Goodness ever invincible.

But of course time took its toll,
And the inevitable came to pass.
You know how people say,
that growing up is a trap?
Well...I fell into that trap,
And my perfect world cracked.

No longer do I see the world,
As plainly black and white;
No, not so contrasting,
but full of many shades of gray.
A child's perception, after all,
Is idealized, and bound to fall.

Oh but heavy is the price of maturity,
For no longer can I hide in my mother's arms;
Forced to face the unknown,
And conceal my true thoughts behind a façade.
But no matter how I lament the loss of my naïveté,
Alas, it can only be this way.

--
“Growing up is never straight forward.

There are moments when everything is fine, and other moments where you realize that 

there are certain memories that you'll never get back, and certain people that are going to change, and the hardest part is knowing that

there's nothing you can do except watch them.” 

― Alden Nowlan