Youth Is Wasted On The Young - Poetry By Cathy Nerujen

(Note about this poem: I wrote this back when I was in my late teens, and it’s about a relationship I had back when I was 15. The other person was older than I. I sensed who I was becoming as a woman, and the memory still lingers of this amazing yet brief friendship and love, part of it captured in this poem from my old school jotter. It needs no explanation.)

I fought with you – my day turned
off the boil -
our friendship cooled – the autumn chill
set in -
I brooded on a porch, ignoring a
sunset -
I forgot the air is free and
held my breath -
I wanted to make something
happen -
our love, our spark, your touch, my
tummy-tingles –

Now I have your photo –

your eyes are open and kind -
your arm is around my shoulder -
you wear that corduroy
jacket I bought you –
it’s your favourite –
you are impassive yet knowing as we
sit on the porch -
you know my flaws –
your hand is strong and reassuring
knowing you are there makes me
happy and needy -
so terrified of losing you – losing
all this -
my fears run deep.

You plead elegantly –
intelligently –
you want me to open up -
trouble is – I’m growing up –
slowly -

The porch light needs
Fixing -
it will be dusk soon.
A moment later, you
put a new bulb in –
one less problem, you chuckle.

I look at you in the Photo.
How can I be angry and still
feel all this love?
I don’t hate you – I hate the
Anger -
I hate the hating –
you take my hand,
warm, strong, vital –
I cry,
then you kiss me –
I can’t see the photo through
my tears –
then you say let’s get the camera and take
another picture.

Now I have this photo.
The sunset lights up your
kind brown eyes -
your skin is soft and beautiful -
your long flowing hair frames
your amazing face –
being with you is like being
with divinity -
your smile, it knows what
comes next -
I see what you really are to me,
I hear your whisper –
I feel this glow inside of me
and I see me –
and think –
Oh love, oh God -
how youth is wasted on the young.

(I couldn’t bring myself to publish the photos as the person this hub is about is not around to okay it, so I used other ones. I often wonder where she is and what she is doing. She was 5 years older than me. She was decent and wonderful, and she deserved better. And I hope she forgives my naïve and odd ways of old. I am too young at 28 to be burying old ghosts, but this one was special.)

A special thank you to Cassy (Cheeky Girl) for suggesting this poem. I almost missed this one. And thank you for the title suggestion, as I had no title for it. As always, you know my heart so well.

Poem Copyright (c) 2011 to 2017 Cathy Nerujen. All rights reserved. This poem is part of a forthcoming book collection of romantic poetry, due in 2017.
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