18 Years in the Making

Knowing life is all about give-and-take,

I can recall the Greek myths of old, can go the extra mile,

and am quite adept at baking a gluten-free cupcake.

A cinephile, the junior facts-on-file,

I can delight in a masala as easily as an old book,

and am quite confident in my clothing style.

At state forensics, I leave the competition ‘shook’,

and I’ve made myself acquainted with Gibson, Mulaney, and Poe.

When a murder joins the throe, people know, I am not a crook.

I can climb an escalator backward when I’m feeling low,

care little when people think I’m odd,

can rock a school musical, steal the show,

stumble through German, fry up cod,

cry over Harry Potter every time,

recite the names of every demigod,

I know how to make this life mine.