A battle rages between enemies within,
Subduing the child since time began,
Struggle for acceptance will soon begin,
At times overdone and out-of-hand.
~
A slow painful process is underway,
Fraught with peril and mines aplenty,
The push to maturity and out of play,
Mistakes oh yes, there are sure to be many.
~
Think back in time to the youth of your day,
Try as you might in with grown-ups to fit,
Seen and not heard was the phrase they would say,
The child that you are in the backseat you will sit.
~
Then in your teens, think you’re woman or man,
You speak as an equal, interrupt, interject,
Try as you might, try as you can,
You want to grow up meaning no disrespect.
~
Natural progression as we try to mature,
Neither a child nor yet an adult,
Please let us in we beg, we implore,
As we try to fit in without insult.
~
This thing called maturity both painful and hard,
We all have been through it ourselves,
Tripped on our tongues and cut on a shard,
They’d understand looking back at themselves.
~
~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~
Dom DiFrancesco 
And isn’t it strange how we spend our first two decades desperately striving to be considered adults and then spend quite a number of decades yearning the years of youth, golden years – in retrospect – when the days were ours, the responsibilities few and the sky, truly, was the limit.
You are so right about that, we can’t wait to grow up and then wish we were young again. How does the saying go, “Youth is wasted on the young.” I really think there is some truth in that. :)
I have nominated you for the Liebster Blog Award. Go here for details. Congratulations
http://wp.me/p2Qoij-w1
John, thank you so much for this award, I am truly honored, however a made a decision some time a go to no longer accept awards. I hope that you are not offended as that certainly isn’t my intention. I just appreciate that you like my poetry and occasionally feel inclined to comment on them, that is enough reward for me. Again, thank you and I hope that I did not offend. :)
No you did not offend. Awards are a pain but sometimes can’t be avoided. You are officially off my award list.( yay )Thanks for telling me directly and not simply ignoring the nomination.
I really do appreciate your understanding, thank you very much for that my friend. :)
Looking back at my childhood and teens — beautiful moments buried inside immense pain. “Best years of my life”? Definitely not. The process of growing up is more difficult than we (forgetful) adults give kids credit for.
Mine wasn’t easy either, I would guess that most of us look back on our childhoods with both fondness and terror. I know that I do. :)
Oh well … it’s the terrorizing moments that … um … give us character, right? ;)
Absolutely, ask my kids, if nothing else I have built their character although not by terrorizing them. :)
No. Not terrorizing. We’re much more subtle. ;)
That we are my friend. :)
Very cute – I say this because I am certainly experiencing the teen to adult maturity phase with my boys. It is interesting. Sometimes comical and sometimes stressful, but they are both moving along. I do feel a bit sorry for Jordy – working his summer job and missing out on friends parties before they all go away to school and being tired and missing out on his sports stuff……. He will live:)
We have all been there and I’m with you. My youngest is going to be 16 and its like dealing with Linda Blair…I never know who I’m going to be talking to. For instance, last night I asked her to move over on the couch so I could sit down and you would think I asked for her right arm, the moods, oh my god! Your boys will be fine. This will just instill a good work ethic in them. :)
I have one thing to say – thank heavens I do not have girls!!!!! My heart goes out to you:)
Your sympathies are most appreciated. My son doesn’t live home anymore so it is me, my wife, my 15 year old daughter and my 20 year old daughter, I am surrounded by girls. I love them, but Ughhhhh!