innocence is bliss

i wish i didn’t know

what growing up feels like.

from nursery rhymes to

songs describing societal woes.

from “good jobs” to

“you can do better” in school.

i wish i didn’t know

our world wasn’t made out

of rainbows and unicorns,

red is for the blood shed in wars,

orange is for ostracized communities.

yellow is for freedom temporarily achieved,

green is for nature now destroyed.

blue is for journeys through stormy seas,

and purple is for starving dead.

i wish i didn’t know

my parent’s view in life,

like how they think its fundamental

to get married and have kids,

but the thought of weddings

makes anxiety bubble up my chest.

i wish i didn’t know

societal expectations and norms,

stop telling me to

sit properly “as a woman”,

shouldn’t it be “as good manners”.

these are the things i wish i didn’t know.