my 20s

i thought it was a number

twenty, add one, add two

it keeps going up and up

being in my 20s

have felt less like an adventure

and more like a roller coaster

standing at the brink of land and sea

my 20s has felt like a number

more so like a list of chores

that never ends

was it supposed to be things

i forgot to ask about?

was it supposed to be fun?

was it supposed to teach me things

i could never possibly learn?

was it supposed to be meaningful?

my 20s feel less like life and more like a number

my 20s feel more like survival than a comeback

i’ve kept myself in a bottle, stored away in the cabinets

within my house

there are butterflies inside me i haven’t let out

is it my youth, demanding to be let out?

or is it simply life, just waiting to be lived?

my 20s what are you scared of?

Your life, this song, will end

as soon as the lights go out.

my 20s, when will you truly start?

— Smriti