When I Realize Too Late
I haven’t gone through much suffering or pain
That doesn’t mean I don’t have my burns and wounds
Like the boy, I fling my clock out the window to see if it would take off
And when it did I realize that it was too late
It’s too late to go back to 3rd grade
When life was simpler when we had more aid
If only I can go back and tell my 8 year old self
“What are you doing? Don’t wish for less time”, I should have said to myself
I didn’t realize then what I was doing and the great value about each passage of time
And too soon, like quicksand, I realize the year has gone by
Up until now, I kept yearning for time to transform into a racing car
To speed through my years of growth and begin the real adventures of life
But with that adventure comes sorrow, hardships, and silver hair
Just one look at my dad and you know it’s all there
I know this girl who around 16 was pregnant
and realize she had to grow up soon; babies are a big investment
Less than 9 months and she became a mother
“I still crave time to go by” I utter
And now here I am and it’s too late
It’s too late to go back to freshman year
When I started my high school career
In a place where I didn’t know anyone
But that, in the end, would teach me about the real me
It’s too late to go back to age 16
Because in 5 months I’ll be 18
The number didn’t hit me so hard until I realize the strings that came attached
Education wouldn’t be free anymore- that was the catch
And bills kept piling up until they reach so high
That free lunch taken for granted is now taken away, can’t get no bligh
How I’m going to miss my mom’s good and delicious food
Just that thought can plummet my mood
There’s that frustration that comes with no job
And having to see the anxious faces of dad and mom
Looking for a house, another place to call home
No luck, let’s just hope that changes soon
It’s too late for me you see
To stay at home to remain fourteen
Going to college soon and realize I’ll be all alone
Starting again, having to find a new place to call home
Having said so much yet not nearly enough
Of the miracle that it is to be a turtle dove
And that's when I realize it is too late for me at least
Yet I rejoice as I have a million dreams
That can get realize with my upcoming dawn
All it takes is a big leap of faith