Rise and shine, your big day has arrived,
A new day’s breaking, time for that grand entrance, your bio
clock’s off and running,
Mom and Pops, they sure were smitten, in their eyes your
presence is a blessing,
Though they might be thinking opposites when you’re trolling
with their sleeping patterns!
But all jokes aside know that you are loved, that they’ll
walk through fire for ya,
To make sure you’re healthy, nourished and a very happy
camper,
The significance of what they’re doing doesn’t quite
register, but hours from now it will,
Before they know it you’re communicating clearly, moving
independently, growing exponentially on the daily, seemingly.
The day progresses, the sun rises further,
Morning at its peak and you’re raring to go, practically
bouncing off walls,
Once an infant, now a child, some degree of independence and
strength,
Plays right into your favour, those energy levels seem never
ending,
Earlier just an infant now a living advertisement of the
human body’s capabilities,
Running, crawling, jumping, rolling, throwing, catching,
occasionally crying when ya trip then scrape that knee,
Gonna have to start school eventually, it sucks but if it’s
any consolation, might seem scary at first but for Ma and Pops also kinda
nerve-wracking,
But soon you’ll make friends, find your tribe for life if
you’re fortunate,
Might as well be siblings from different parents, doing damn
near everything together,
As the minutes turn you’re getting bigger, a growing
awareness of the journey ahead of you,
Though the main priority is living a life carefree as young’uns
are wont to do,
Besides keeping those grades up and your room tidy, responsibilities
confined to fun times with friends and family,
What was exciting hours prior now seems beneath you, you find
yourself wishing to be bigger,
Just like your guardians, free from any rules it seems, free
to do as they please,
But you’re not privy to their hustling on the daily to keep
you happy and healthy,
Some nights coming home drained, yet still making time with
you to play,
Checking to make sure you’re head of the class, put you back
in line when you’re acting like an ass,
Listen when they tell you never to take these hours for
granted,
You’ll find out soon enough, how much clout such advice been
carrying.
Closer to midday now, the past few hours have been most kind,
Crossing into teens, a taste of the world once beyond your
reach, soon you’ll see, the big ones ain’t driving down Easy Street,
Slapped with more and more responsibilities, life’s no
longer loose and carefree,
Those grades a new battleground, better be diligent or
you’ll be found out,
Assessments and exams carrying extra heft, outside class
you’re likely to make as many enemies as friends,
Some folks be wolves in sheep’s clothing, fading innocence
giving way to ruthlessness,
There’s your early taste of politics and manipulation, flexing
and comparisons, big folk games that’ll make your head shake,
Popular among the teens, it only gets worse from here,
unfortunately,
What your folks done taught and brought you up with in the
morning can and will be challenged, will you evolve or remain defiant?
Ma and Pa can only do so much, the world and your
surroundings will do their part, where temptations were once of the sweet and
sugary type, perhaps a few white lies, might now involve escapades and
substances of the harmful, trouble-making type,
Thinking ‘bout the opposite gender, where once they repulsed
and repelled, they’ve all but taken over your mind, thoughts of the sweet and
nasty kind,
Years behind those gates under the teachers’ care won’t last
forever, gotta plan for life outside sooner or later,
To jumpstart what could well be your life’s work or get you
a degree first?
Make use of your newfound freedom to venture beyond that
comfort zone, see what else the world has to offer,
Go get what you’re worth, have no fear of failure, start
over as many times as necessary, the world is your oyster.
Past the midpoint, here comes the afternoon sky,
Drifting further from morning and closer towards night,
Earlier on lived for the material, to fly high your main ambition,
More pals and hangers-on than you can count, living for the
present was what life’s all about,
And now it’s sunset and all your treasures are in storage
collecting dust,
That circle reduced in circumference, whatever bubble you’d
created long gone bust,
No need to be ashamed, it’s part of the journey, look at you
now, reinvented through maturity,
Equipped to make moves on your own, Mom and Pops can take a
backseat,
Their roles now that of support system than guardian, up to
you to dance to your own beat,
Perhaps you’d found someone to call your partner for life, had
you some little ones to carry on your legacy,
Maybe you’re flying with no co-pilot, marching to beats
suited only to your rhythm,
Those aforementioned little ones the closest that you’ll get
to turning back time,
Been there and done that already, you’re more than qualified
to be their guide,
Do your job right you can live through ‘em vicariously,
maybe turn ‘em onto what lit your world up bright and sparkly,
Hustling day in, day out as your folks once did, lessons
they drummed finally sinking in,
Sadly, they might check out at any time, but if they’d
raised you right you’ll continue to thrive,
Looking back on earlier hours wistfully, the world seemed
pure under the sun’s full bloom,
But nothing gold can stay, so said Mr. Frost, as the sun’s sinking
you feel yourself turning grey,
Day’s more or less half-over, minutes ticking by quicker,
They should have told you earlier the more you acquire the
shorter your hours,
Never too long in the tooth to learn something new, stay
curious if you want to slow down,
Keep in touch with whom you were earlier, they’ll never let
you down.
The sun finally sets, blue skies and white clouds melting
into dark night,
Been a long day of triumphs and trials, you’d come a long
way since sunshine,
The young ones on their own time zone, perhaps got little
ones of their own,
Clock’s turned back again, just like that, for you and for
them,
The day’s almost over but your time ain’t over yet,
Will you push on and keep rocking or call it a day then set
off for bed?
Time may have ravaged you physically, actions once
effortless now require some doing,
Others, still, might be trapped in a fog, left a shell of an
individual once lively and strong,
Can’t play like you did in the morning, those joints done
took a beating, but anything’s possible, still, as long as that spirit’s
willing,
Barring life’s intervention these are your second set of
golden years,
You’d paid your dues, that ticker’s still good, might as
well go out in a blaze of glory,
Never stop learning or growing, not until St. Pete comes
calling,
Stay hungry, curious and willing as you’d been in the
morning,
Break the rules, defy the cynics and doomsayers, you needn’t
be confined to your rocker,
Be of service while you’re able, that belt has room for
extra notches,
Give ‘em miles to recall once you’re finally laid to rest, it’ll
be genuine tears shed for a life well-led,
Fly high now, knowing that you did all that,
Your day ends, more new ones begin, the cycle continues like
it always has.
