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Wisdom hunched over

and placed a wrinkled hand

on Youth’s shoulder saying,

“Child, don’t waste away

your adolescence. Cherish it,

for once innocence is shattered,

it can never be restored.”



But Youth pulled at tiny fingers

trying to quicken development,

“But I’m tired of waiting.

Why does it take so long

to grow up?” he replied,

absorbed in simple thought.  



Wisdom reiterated,  

“Yes, with growth comes knowledge,

but what you gain doesn’t compare

with what you lose.

True that you fill cranial capacity

with insightful information,

but you have nothing to show for it  

apart from an overworked mind

and the ability to ask

more complex questions.”  



Youth stared wide-eyed

up past Wisdom’s gaze, asking

“Why is the sky blue?”



Wisdom sighed and

tried once more,

“Never stop counting

your age in increments,

for soon the only things

you will count are crow’s feet

until one day you finally look back

and discover you lost yourself

in the pursuit to mature

more rapidly than nature intended.”



Youth proclaimed,

“You know, I’m seven and a half!”



Wisdom chuckled.

Rewrite 2012

Wisdom hunched over
and placed a wrinkled hand
on Youth’s shoulder saying,
“Child, don’t waste away
your adolescence.
Cherish it,
for once innocence is shattered,
it can never be restored.”

But Youth, anxious to
speed up development, cried
“But I’m tired of waiting!
Why does it take so long
to grow up?” he replied,
absorbed in simple thought.

Wisdom reiterated,
“Yes, with maturity comes knowledge,
but what you gain doesn’t compare
with what you lose.
True that you fill cranial capacity
with insightful information,
but you have nothing to show for it
apart from a stressed-out mind
and the ability to think of
more complex questions
with disconcerting answers.”

Youth stared wide-eyed
up past Wisdom’s gaze, asking
“Why is the sky blue?”

Wisdom sighed and tried once more,
“Never change your sense of wonder
and counting your age in increments,
for soon the only things
you will count are crow’s feet
until one day you look back
and discover you lost yourself
in the pursuit to mature
more rapidly than nature intended.”

Youth, only having listened to fragments
of Wisdom’s speech, proclaimed,
“You know, I’m seven and a half!”

Wisdom chuckled.