I am turning seventeen and
I miss my seventh.
If I could speak to him,
in the reflection of
a puddle,
or behind
a mirror,
to the button-eyed and breathless,
pure hearted and progressing,
oblivious and open-hearted sprout,
I would simply let be.
For in his gaze of unknowing,
a universe of wonder blossoms.
To whisper warnings and cautions,
to burden an unburdened heart,
to bring about gnawing anxieties,
would be like grasping at him through
the puddle,
or shattering
the mirror,
that separates us –
letting the phantoms of my world
seep into his.
I am envious, though,
of how his young eyes
capture a world
different than mine –
saturated, slow, serene,
of how sun-kissed sand
feels to his hands,
of how his ears perceive
the melodies of birds
like symphonies,
while I catch only
fleeting murmurs or flutters.
I wonder, though, will my seventy
miss my seventeen too?
What if I peer into
the puddle,
or stare at
the mirror,
and visualize before me
a face weathered soft by time,
who hides tomorrow’s storms
as I hid mine
from the boy in the puddle.
Eziz is a young poet whose touching, nostalgic works explore growth, innocence, and connection. He enjoys sports and volunteering in the community while trying to make an impact on others through his writing. With each of his works, Eziz strives for an emotional impact on readers by provoking reflection and raising empathy through the universal language of poetry.