While Others Were Growing Up, I Was Too Busy Trying to Survive (poem)

the title of this poem speaks for itself

a kid on a tire swing during sunset

I often feel younger for my age, and in part, it has to do with my outlook on life, but it also has a whole lot to do with being in survival mode from a young age. I seemed "wise beyond my years" because I had to grow up quickly, and I seem "younger for my age" because again, I had to grow up quickly, missing key milestones of the self-discovery process...

Content Note: alluding to childhood abuse

Most kids were building

forts and Lego fortresses

and their core selves. I

was just trying to get by,

my subconscious mind building

barriers and vaults

to protect me from

what no kid should ever witness.

Most adults are building

their careers and families

and their lives,

but all I want is

a childhood back—

not mine,

just one where I could build

a fort for the fun of it,

not as a means of

escape,

survival.

...But I can't go back in time, so I'm rebuilding now because it's never too late. I'm honoring and nurturing my inner child, and in doing so, I heal, grow, blossom!