I recently found a poem I wrote in January 2015 based on this prompt: "Write a letter to yourself to be read on a future birthday." This was winter of my senior year of high school. I think this is a unique perspective, and I'm really glad I wrote this piece because I would never have remembered feeling this way.
Dear Future Self:
Another birthday,
another year of life
And yet, you're only
a day older
than
you were yesterday.
Now is not too late
to start again,
To do the thing,
whatever it is.
Please always
remember the joy that comes from
exploring
in the woods,
staring
at the stars, and
admiring
the colors of the sky.
Please take time to
read a fluffy book,
and
keep up with YA lit,
but
also read more Austen.
Please remember your
17-year old self
who
wanted nothing more in life
than
to be happy without depending on others
and
to have a small apartment with twinkle lights.
I know it’s cliche,
but always follow your heart,
even
if your heart ends up being different from mine.
I wrote this next poem in September 2016 as a response to the 17-year old me who wrote the previous poem.
Dear Past Self:
Birthdays might be
arbitrary,
But your growth has
not been.
I took your advice
and started again.
And again. And
again.
I keep inventing and
re-inventing.
I have not lost my
love for
the
woods, or
the
stars, or
the
colors of the sky.
I wish I had time to
read a fluffy book;
I
promise to read a few
when
I have the time.
You'll be happy to
know that my dorm rooms
have
been decked out in twinkle lights
And I hate to break
it to you, but
depending
on others is a wonderful
way
to be happy.
Allowing people to
love you
is
a powerful source of joy
(I'm
still learning how to do this).
I'm very different
from you in so many ways,
but
I've followed my heart
and
it has stayed true to yours.
