These Days
As most people do, I spend my time wondering and thinking about the past and how it affects the future. I can sort of become caught in a daze of the remembrance of childhood, the way the weather makes me feel, or the yearning desire to be chosen, loved, and kept. I decided to change the title to be less obvious and to flow into the first stanza of the poem. I also incorporated more examples of what I reminisce on and what the essence of childhood means in connection to my story. Throughout this collection of work I find myself to finally acknowledge how prevalent change is in my life. From the original to the revision, I do a better job at carrying the reader through a journey heavily formed around the past. With my ending, I snap everyone back to reality because it is important to express or dwell on these experiences, yet it’s also just as essential to remember where it has taken you.
These Days by Anyah Jackson
I keep wondering if it will rain.
The sun doesn’t peek through the
windows like it used to.
The rays used to burn my skin
and promise to never leave.
It’s colder than it's ever been.
A peculiar gust pesters like
a kid in class begging
to be known.
I keep wondering if I will be known
again.
If I’m worth the time; if someone will
solve the jigsaw puzzle I am.
If they’ll be satisfied with the picture
on the box or if they’ll keep the receipt
waiting to return
me.
I keep wondering if I’ve outgrown
my youth.
To feel the prickly grass beneath my
toes, engaging in the essence of bliss
looking to the clouds.
To scream, just for the fun of it,
To echo past the valleys,
To run with no destination in mind,
To love every part of myself and
blink without regret.
I wonder if I will ever feel like that
again.