Being Seventeen

People say about life, "Make the most of each day.
Be perfect and lovely in every way."
They make it sound easy, they make it sound nice,
But people can never be seventeen twice.
They frown and they shake their grey heads and they say,
"That's the age all the good girls go astray."

Maybe they're right; maybe by tonight
I'll be swearing and smoking and knocking back pints.
Listening to death pop and über-grunge metal,
Making my birthday a night to forget- oh!
But while I'm still sane, I have something to write,
Here are seventeen things that I like about life.

Firstly, I like to have fun with my friends,
I like to eat cookies,
I like to descend
From my room to the garden and back, and again
Watch the sunrise, the blue skies
The moonlight……

First love is delicate, fragile as ice
I love my new boyfriend
And I love him twice
As much as I love to read novels or draw
Or gaze at the night sky, touch new snow
Close my eyes…..

Like perfume on velvet, seductive and sensual
Like whispers of comfort in white space and freedom
Like echoes in solitude, empty forever
Like warm hands in warm hands, savouring feeling
Seventeen- something that won’t come again;
My sixteenhood, sadly, has come to an end.