Poem 1: My Perspective on Growing Up (Free Verse)
The clock ticks softly,
Each second a whisper,
"Are you ready?" it asks.
I see the world blooming,
Spreading its vast canvas,
But here I stand,
On the edge of a cliff,
My feet bounded by roots,
Familiar soil I can’t bear to leave.
Responsible voices echo,
"Be this," "Do that,"
Dreams clutter like autumn leaves,
Scattered visions in a gusty wind.
What if I can’t catch them?
What if I stumble, fall
Into the chasm of expectations,
Lost among sharpened thoughts and deadlines?
I yearn for the wildness of childhood,
When laughter was currency,
And dreams danced on the tips of fingers,
Now, I stare into a future,
A foggy landscape shrouded with fears—
Of choices unmade, paths left untrodden.
What if I grow but wither,
A flower unfurling,
Only to find I am still in shadow?
But here I grasp a glimmer,
The flicker of possibility,
In the tremors of my heart,
A burgeoning courage,
For even trees must shed their leaves,
To rise again in the sunlight,
So I’ll take a breath,
And step forward,
Into the uncharted echo of tomorrow.
Poem 2: Someone Else's Perspective (Haiku)
Innocence fading,
A child fears the open door—
What lies beyond youth?
Expectations loom,
Like shadows cast by the sun,
Pressing on small dreams.
I watch you tremble,
Hesitant steps into light,
A brave heart, unsure.