Before
Before
I miss the days
When we would run through the fields
And swim in the pond all day
Smiling and using kayaks
I miss the nights
When we would read books and laugh about the smallest things
I want to go back
To taking more risks
And telling people how much I like them
Because now
I don’t run because I don’t want to fall
Or swim all day because I’m worried about
The last time I put sunscreen on
I no longer read as much
Because I’m doing homework
And stressing over whether it’s good or not
I don’t take as many risks
Because I don’t want to get hurt
And I don’t tell him how much I like him
Because I’m wondering if he likes me
Or if it will ruin our relationship
Those were the days
When I made up songs
And sang them to the forest
The trees and squirrels, silent, listening
The afternoons where I would go sledding
Or jumping in the snow
Or the times when we would make up handshakes
And do Tik Tok dances that our friends knew
But now
I don’t make up songs
Because I think they are terrible and the words don't work
I don’t sled
Because I don’t like to walk back up the hill
And I try to avoid the little dances
Because I think I’m going to be the one person
In the group who will mess it up
But normally
That isn’t the way it is
I wish I could go back to the days
When I didn’t care
The Voice
March 2025
Special Issue: Teenager Contest
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