Being 13 years old
And worried
About how my braces made me ugly
My developing body made me awkward
About the fighting between my folks
In the middle of the night
And boys, boys, boys
But down by the river,
Fun waited for me
All summer long
Under the train trestle
Where the rope hung down
Over the water
And my brothers and I
Would swing, from the wet boulder
Out, out and over
And let go of the rope
And let go of the worries
When I splashed into that river
My braces, my body, my folks yelling
Washed away
Away down the river
I squealed, and laughed
And I shook my head, wildly
As water drops and sadness
Flew away from my hair, and my mind
There, in the Capitola river
I was free
"...And let go of the rope / and let go of the worries..." You took me back to the insecurities, the self-loathing and the embarrassment of adolescence here, Sharon. Thank all the gods, girl! We were able to lose the reality of our lives for a while and just PLAY ... swimming, bike riding, roller skating down the sidewalk -- all were ways of giving our psyches a rest. This is beautiful writing that so many men and women can relate to.
Letting go!
Sometimes the toughest challenge of all.
Thirteen--do you still have thirteen inside???
I hope so.