Growing Up

Art credit: Groups of Mountain Climbers (Shojin tozan), from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei), Katsushika Hokusai

View poem in magazine.

Growing up feels like a race to the light, 

Smiling through the pain, and hiding the fight. 

Some say “You will toughen up and be just fine,” 

But some wounds take more than simple time. 

Your mind needs space, you heart needs some rest 

Your better than the weight that sits on your chest 

Not every mountain is easy to climb 

But it will get better, and you will be stronger this time.