TOO MUCH TO FORGET

I didn't realize how powerful being young was

If I could turn back the hands of time

I would replay and delete all those terrible acts I did

All those I did during my formative years

But now, what can I say or do?

I made my peers lead my life

As I traced their footsteps into a shameful life

Indeed, there's too much to forget.

I didn't realize how beautiful being young was

If only I could open up the chapters of my youthful days

I wouldn't have made men mess up with my life

The bells of "IF ONLY"

The cymbals of "I WISH" keep ringing in my ears

The drums of "HAD I KNOWN" is beating

Beating so loudly that my ears ache

Indeed, there's too much to forget

I didn't realize how glamorous being young was

If only I could move back into the days gone

If only I could retrace my steps into my past

Goodness me! This time around,

I would have seen glamor

What makes a glamorous woman these days?

I lost that glamor in my prime

Indeed there's too much to forget

Family, friends, classmates alike

Heard laughter always

But those were not sounds of happiness

Those were the laughter that only a bitter youth can cry

They saw me smile daily 

But those were not smiles of joy

The smile that only a disturbed youth can frown at

They heard me sing

But my heart could hear me weep

There's so much missing as I'm old

My smile, my dignity, my worth

It took me a while to understand what youthful days are

But it will surely take me forever to forget what it was to me

When advice and correction was not heeded to

Oh yes! It will take forever

Because I learnt nothing from the school of hard knocks

Indeed there's too much to forget



Poem written by:
Joyce Ohenewaa Kwapong
+233(0)267968373
joycekwapong@gmail.com
Activist, Women and Children
University of Ghana, Accra City Campus
Read more on my blog:
ohenewaa-kwapong.blogspot.com

   *** I believe this poem will inspire you and I              to make good use of our youthful days
        Together, let us make hay whilst the sun             shines
        So that if there's too much to forget, those         memories will be positive ones.