I grew up in a time
where the boys played Tag with girls
and we magically transformed into primates
as we hung upside down
on the monkey bars .
A time
where we searched blindly for Marco
and when being the Lemon
was a test of strength .
Hopscotch was fatal .
Chalk outlines of safe boxes
but don't step on the white
or your turn will end .
From zero you'll begin ...
Again .
Rings of Hula-Hoops
orbited our waist
as we winded our hips
innocently
in front of innocent eyes .
Double Dutch was such a competition .
Legs moved in timely matters
trying to avoid that rope
from whiplash .
" Butters . No paybacks ."
But you're not trynna hear that .
Revenge brews in your mind
while anger flood to your hands .
You payback with "Flicked" rotations
of the wrists .
" Oops ! Butters ! No paybacks ."
Rolling your eyes
as each word escaped your lips .
Playing ball
wasn't just a term of basketball or football .
Varieties of ball games
were there for your choosing .
Curb ball was tricky .
Wall Ball made sense .
King ball was easy .
Dodge ball ,
intense .
At night was the time
of Hide -N- Go Seek .
Darkness fell on the shadows ,
creating the best places
to not be seen .
The morning was the time
for Freeze Tag .
Running from The Touch
like escaping from cooties .
Years passed
and my childhood
seemed to have gone with it .
My heart breaks
when I look around to witness children
using mouths in need of scrubbing ,
hands in need of popping ,
and butts in desperation for belts .
Disrespect rolls off of their tongues
so smoothly .
They're like mini professionals ,
starting young .
Language so cursed .
Voices so grown .
Bodies so developed and using them wrong .
Grinding on each other
creating babies unborn .
Ignorant to the rights
and focused on the wrongs .
Enough is said
by the actions of these young souls .
Minds possessed by peers
as they watch their idols
burn the leaves
we once jumped into
and inhale powdered rocks
we once kicked down the street
when boredom attacked our brains .
The world I once viewed
as perfection
cartwheeled backwards ,
flipping this generation on it's head .
The generation
where what's cool
used to haunt our dreams ,
creating nightmares
of the consequences we'll suffer
if we ever thought about attempting
such evil .
Pretty soon
young bodies will lay
lifelessly
at the foot of every bridge ...
because everyone is doing it .