Past, Present, Future

When I think of me,

I think of the young girl

The one still looking for herself

I think of that look…

The annoyed, obnoxious look

That people get when I’m too loud

I love that look

I think of laughing with my friends

And beating on my brother,

Crying with my mom,

And lying to my sisters

I think about my dad, who’s gone,

And how he used to be

I daydream about my childhood

And the innocence that I carried

And the purity of my small world

I try to understand all the things

That went wrong when I was young

But it wasn’t me; it’s not all my fault

I think about the future

And that special someone

Whom someday I will get to know

I think about what I will do

And where I will go

I can’t go back and start again

Or retrace my steps

I can’t unlearn the things I know,

Or undo the damage done

But I can guard the things I love

And protect the future I look forward to