“Happy Birthday to you!”
“Happy Birthday, dear Earl!”
“Happy Birthday to you!”
As I extinguished the two candles,
Twisted in twos, casting gentle hues,
When I hastily made a wish,
Yearning to halt the relentless march of time,
In that fleeting moment,
Fear of the unknown future gripped me tight,
As I grasp my birthday knife,
A shiver runs through my palm’s sweat
At twenty-two years young,
On the cusp of college graduation,
I stand at life’s crossroads,
Uncertain of my path,
Unsure of what dreams to pursue,
As I gazed skyward at the blissful night.
“Would you care for a slice of cake?”
I offered my patient friends,
Ever faithful companions,
Whose loyalty never bends,
Once we reveled in our local bar,
The week I turned twenty-one,
Toasting to our youthful days,
And the mischief that we spun.
At twenty,
I celebrated
victory over
teenage folly,
Dodging
the specter
of young
parenthood,
With no need to scramble to make ends meet.
My life is an open book, unwritten and bright,
Each page is a canvas, waiting for a drop of ink,
I stood in front of a ship unanchored,
Embracing the tumultuous sea
“Yes, I’d love a slice,” chimed my mother,
Ever-present, unwavering in her support,
Never questioning, never doubting,
Her love an unyielding anchor,
Grounding me through life’s discomfort.
Even at nineteen, when darkness clouded my soul,
Like a massive fog engulfing a lone vessel,
And despair threatened to consume me,
She remained a beacon of light,
A guiding star through my darkest of nights.
As I blew out my eighteen candles,
I crossed the threshold into adulthood,
Recalling the lyrics of a familiar song,
“I don’t know about you,
But I’m not feeling twenty-two.”
“Happy Birthday to you!”
“Happy Birthday, dear Earl!”
“Happy Birthday to you!”
Yet within this moment of reflection,
Amidst the flickering candlelight,
I find solace in the journey ahead,
Embracing the uncertainty as a thrilling chance,
With faith as my compass and hope as my guide,
I welcome the promise of tomorrow’s tide.
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