Remember when
Your biggest decisions to make
Were which colour crayon to pick,
Who you played with at break,
And if you should play House or Tick

Remember when
Boys weren’t cheating bastards
And hearts weren’t there for hurting.
There was no such thing as standards
And no such thing as flirting

Remember when
Sex was a vague, foreign concept
With no pregnancy scares or STDs
The simplest question sidestepped
With an answer about the birds and the bees

Remember when
The boys spoke to your face
Not your chest
When it was innocent to change in the same room
Parading round in your pants and vests

Remember when
There were no worries or fears
Your biggest trouble who pushed in the lunch queue
For rules were there to be adhered
And only the bravest kids did not give them value

Remember when
Swearing was unheard of
And ‘telling’ was your biggest threat
And; “you’re not coming to my birthday party”
Ensured your demands were met

Remember when
You hated your friend when she messed up your game;
Or cheated and swore you didn’t win;
Or when she gave you a silly nickname
But never because of the colour of her skin

Remember when
Clothes were a routine part of your day
Uniform for school, whatever was washed for weekends
Maybe special dress-up for the Christmas play
All that time ago, before it was demanded you follow fashion trends

Remember when
Your life was innocent, childish bliss.
An outrage was having your Pokémon cards banned
Discrimination, terrorism and poverty didn’t exist
It was more important to have the best handstand

Remember when
You didn’t have to be dragged out of bed by a parental trooper
Back then you looked forward to your breakfast cartoons
Now you gulp down caffeine in a sleep-deprived stupor
The television blares, but to what it says you are immune

Remember when
Everyone told you “Enjoy it, you hear?
Because your childhood won’t last
These are your best years
And they will soon to be in your the past”

Remember when
We didn’t listen