When you're just a snot-nosed kid
of six or seven years old (and a half),
You can lay on the front lawn naked
and people just walk by and laugh.
You can stroll right up to a pretty girl,
Give her a big, sloppy kiss and a smile
But try that when you get a bit older
And you'll be going away for a while.
When you become an awkward teenager
Looking like some kind of overgrown elf,
You can still get away with everything
And say you're just expressing yourself.
You can dye your hair green and purple
Pierce your lip and walk around in a funk.
You're in that clumsy, in-between stage
Somewhere between a brat and a punk.
But things change right after high school.
Everyone starts asking what you'll become.
Nobody bugged you about working before
Now they keep saying, "Get a job, ya bum!"
So off you go to the college to learn a trade
Medicine? Law? Accounting? What'll it be?
Choosing only one path can drive you nuts
And make you scream, "I just wanna be me!"
But this society demands blind obedience
And punishes anyone who falls out of line.
If you decide to study and pursue the arts,
You'll need rhino skin and a cast iron spine.
But a lot of people are still reasurring you, saying
"Relax! You're young! You have plenty of time!"
Meanwhile, the big 3-0 deadend is approaching.
You're still not rich and considering a life of crime.
Then thirty finally arrives and nothing changes.
You realize you're still here and it's no big deal.
But if you're Type-A at all and not a millionaire yet,
You're not quite sure exactly how you should feel.
But those first little wrinkles are letting you know
That you're not exempt from the human condition
And that the years are going to keep on rolling past
With or without your resentment, or your permission.
So you stop telling yourself, "Oh my God, I'm thirty!"
And you start saying, "Hey, I'm only thirty. So what?"
And you keep in mind that history's highest achievers
Were about forty before they really got off their butt.
Even if you're over forty and not quite "there" yet,
There's no formula for success. Life is very funny.
Some of the unhappiest people that I've ever known
Were those who were dominated by lust for money.
After all, what is it that makes a life extraordinary?
How much stuff we possess, or how wealthy we feel?
Some of the poorest people are often the happiest
Because they dwell only in what is eternal and real.
So perhaps hitting thirty is our first, grand lesson
For it teaches us that there's really nothing to fear
So when forty and fifty and beyond comes around,
Instead of "Oh no", we'll say, "Yay! I'm still here!!!"
Author notes
Written May 3rd, 2006
In a list
A contest entry
- My 30th Birthday Make Me Smile Please by whispersoftly.
300 points, ended May 9, 2006, 7 entries
Silver trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
What did you think
Comments
1 - 15 of 15
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"When you're just a snot-nosed kid
of six or seven years old (and a half),
You can lay on the front lawn naked
and people just walk by and laugh.
You can stroll right up to a pretty girl,
Give her a big, sloppy kiss and a smile
But try that when you get a bit older
And you'll be going away for a while."
Sooo...did ya lay on the sidewalk nekked, Marky L.??? 
Very cool penning, my Friend...I've never understood people's obsessions with age & the vanity attached to it...Life is far too brief as it is...I earned every gray hair & wrinkle I've got...& gettin' older is the whole idea, is it not??? Lovely hoppy birdy day poem, Scribe...I bet she's tickled by it...
Wanda
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very good
very nice ... You did a great job ..
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Congratulations!!
HI Mark!! Congratulations on winning the Silver!!! A wonderful write that certainly brightened Cheryls day!!! Way to go!!! Jasminerose
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This is a well written and intillectually stimulating comical look at aging! I can see why you won the silver trophy. Congratulations! Well done!
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well this is wonderful and so true when you are younger you can get away with what ever you want to and as the years pass on society frowns upon you! and its true i agree that the best things in life are free.... after all some freindship's are priceless thankyou for entering and good luck xx Cheryl
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Great ! Funny
Yeh as I have always said. Good lokks and talent go hand in hand. Thank goodness you have them both. LOL
Excellent pom and a great Birthday wish also. LOL
Jan -
Dear Mark, your write is well written,humouros and inspirational.Many a true word is spoken in jest and you have imbued your poetic journey through the ages with many pertinent observations.Whilst a clown may wear a mask and jest to disguise his fears,you write unmasked and jest to imbue truism with cheers.I enjoy your creativity as you always reveal something that deserves thinking about or doing something about,that is an admirable quality.I echo your thoughts re ageing within this write.Please consider this too,if you didn`t actually know how old you were how old would you feel?It is a state of mind.We are as a society obsessed by number definitions whether that be age,weight or salary or how many happy clappy emoticons for our poetry!We leave school and join the school of life,the longer we live the more we learn.With age comes wisdom from lessons learned and personally I enjoy interacting with anyone,regardless of their chronological age,if the essence of themselves is kind,funny,wise,spiritual.Well done,love and light,Yvette
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wonderful write!!
Hi Mark, this is a wonderful write for Whispersoftly's birthday contest!! I love the "just expressing myself" line.. Have one of them at home....lol This is truly wonderful, as I am very sure will cheer this wonderful lady up asap!! Have a great day! Jasminerose
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Hey Susan,
I'm a "few" years past 30. It was written for "whispersoftly", the holder of this contest, who is about to turn 30. But you're right - poems are a lot like arguments. We're convincing ourselves of our own convictions as much as anyone who happens to read it. lol I do think it's true that we become less obsessed about aging after 30. After all, what other choice do we have? We either make peace with it or become a neurotic freakazoid. haha
Thanks,
Mark
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I have heard life begins at 30 and I have heard that it begins at 40, I hae experience both and I have to say overall it just keeps getting better.
I have heard you cannot trust anyone over 30 so does that make this your last year of being trustworthy or has it come and gone.
I have to say I like the message of your penultimate stanza. Wealth is not measured in dollars and obects, but in eternal treasures.
Great message, but I wonder who it was written for? The judge or the poet?
Fun read as always.
Susan -
Mark,
I have a feeling that you wrote this for me. LOL... I know what you mean, trust me. I read this to my Stepmom mom, and we we're like, HELL YEAH!!!!
I came from a poor househould, and your right, we are very happy people. You look at life differently. We know everything we have is ours. It may not be much, but it's ours. I am not far from thirty, been divorced twice. I have two beautiful children, and I am very happy. No, I dont have much money, but money doesn't buy you happiness. If there is anything I have learned in my life it's happiness is what its all about. Thanks for sharing this with us Mark. I really enjoyed the read. Good luck in the contes.
Much Love,
Tammy
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This is pretty good, Mark. I thought there were a few rhythmic problems here and there, but all in all this really shines. I hope we're not involved in the same contest? 'Cause to be honest, I don't know if I can beat this one! - oce
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this is a great write. i really enjoyed it just as i do many of your writings. sorry that i didn't comment earlier. my bad. lol. great job. keep it up.
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A job very well done, I'm so impressed. I absolutely loved reading this peice I just had to read it once more. I feel this is dire need of 40 applauds but unfortunatly I can only give one so here you go, please have a very wonderful night,,cya later!
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Your writing always makes me smile. Some of your opening lines had me laughing so much!
"You can lay on the lawn stark naked
and people just walk by and laugh."
"Looking like some kind of overgrown elf,"
You are brilliant with your wording...and you can make a longer poem just speak so loudly throughout every line. Your writing is hard to turn away from once I start reading it. You're great at drawing us all in.
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