coming of age means

you have to do the work.

you get no help,

you never will

you have to figure it out alone

and if you say something back,

people think you’re weak.

coming of age means

you will never be enough.

your parents will think you should do more

your teachers will think you can get better grades

your friends will think you need to be more fun

your mind will think you need to be better.

coming of age means

you have to find yourself.

you must search through a sea of pebbles

to find you broken one.

and yet you must deal with everything else

while you don’t know what’s going on inside.

coming of age means

no one is here to rescue you.

you have to save yourself or you will drown.

coming of age means

no one is here to protect you.

you will learn things

they lied to you about when you were younger

you will do things

that will bruise you

because no one was there to tell you not to do it

and yet

we do it all with a smile on our face.