Here's to eighteen

Adulthood

is a social construct.

Yet the ropes I was connected to— 

for the past eighteen years— 

undertake departure,

with only those remaining to pull and pull, 

all the way toward a world unknown.

Seemingly all is lost

yet all is one. 

——  🌳☀️🍃 ——

Inspired by my recent eighteenth birthday (celebrated by massive amounts of cake, cookies, and boba) as well as Bishop's writing style with end-stopped lines and em dashes, this poem is a testament to becoming 18. Age roles and periods are a social construct; profound change doesn't happen over one day. Our behaviors that are trained to react toward our new age shapes the way we go about our day. Knowing that this birthday is supposedly my last birthday to be celebrated at home and that this age is attributed to newfound independence (as created by our society) scares me at times. The world of adulthood seems like a mystical portal waiting for entrance, and what settles me is the fact that challenges are inevitable. Throughout these past years trained under these "ropes", I've learned how to overcome challenges and maintain a mindset to keep calm. 

Nevertheless, it is the most mundane moments that help us discover this sense of peace. Within the uncertainty in our current lives, we find joy in the smallest things: talking on Discord, making food with family, facing random blessings and acts of kindness, etc. So much is out of our hands that we fuse the broken pieces together—a sense of kintsugi. Not to spoil too much of our poetry presentation, but this idea of kintsugi back from Bildungsroman is what the fish from Bishop's poem reminds me of. Embracing uncertainty, persevering fully. (Crazy how the story of a battered fish can teach you so much about yourself!)