FOURTEEN
By
Grandma
Baadsgaard
Happy
Birthday Matthew. You are awesome!
I’m
not a boy.
I’m
not a man.
Will
someone please tell me
Who
I am?
Food
stuck in my braces
When
I smile -
Teacher
with a whistle
Makes
me run the mile.
“Change
your underwear.”
Says
Mom with that look
But
I frankly don’t I care
If
I smell like fish on a hook
“Comb
your hair, brush your teeth
Take
a bath would you please
Practice
piano, clean you room,
Or
my patience is going to leave.”
Homework
and locker combinations
Assemblies,
recitals and tests
Gives
me days at junior high
Without
a moment to rest.
All
the girls my age
Look
two years older than me
How
am I supposed to impress them
When
all they see . . .
My
pants turn into floods
Whenever
I turn around.
My
voice seems to crack
Whenever
I make a sound.
Older
brothers stare
Younger
brother tease
When
will this annoyance
Ever,
ever cease?
Too
old for Halloween
Not
old enough to drive
How
in the world
Am
I supposed to survive?
Junior
High is full of
Jocks, nerds and bores
I
just don’t know how
I’m
supposed to soar.
Maybe
I’ll just relax
And
just practice being me
Cause
when all is said and done
I’m
content to be
Matthew
the magnificent
Matthew
the brave
Matthew
the courageous
With
a sense of humor to save
Late
night video games
Lying
in my hammock to sleep
Sneaking
treats from the pantry
Is
all I really need.
Who
says you need
Nutritious
food to survive
Mac
and cheese serves me well
That’s
all I need to thrive
You
say I need
Proper vitamins to grow.
I
say life is too short to skimp on candy
When
your blood sugars get low.
Someday
I’ll be the dad
And
surely I will say
“Stop
doing that!” to my son
But
today is not that day.
