When I was Five

When I was five, I wanted to be

A million things. A chef, and architect,

An artist on the weekends. Not to mention,

Nursing to pay the bills. The list was endless.

My mom said that I could do it all.

If I could have asked myself

When I was five, 'Do you want to be 17,

And scared about the future?

Do you want everyone to assume that you're

Smart enough to succeed without trying,

And to be scared of failure? 

Do you want to be juggling ten different majors,

And have to choose between them

And have the whole rest of your life

Depend on that one decision?'

I'm pretty sure that five year old me

Would have burst into tears.

Luckily, I'm not just stressed.

My younger self would be glad,

That I am taller than my sister.

She would think it was amazing

That I'd beat my brother on a test.

Most of all, she would think,

'Wow. She's old. I wanted glasses-

Why don't I have glasses?'

I am older than I was.

I am stressed.

I am not visually challenged.

I am taller than my sister.

I am making decisions to alter my life.

I am scared out of my mind.

And I am going to succeed.