By Sasha Bailey

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A poem and painting reflecting our ties to our childhood and the complexity of growing up.

The colors have changed like the seasons each year
And the worries attach to a new type of fear
The basics and simple life are gone
And rises a new day, a new dawn

Rises the moon, rises the sun
Release the old version, let it be done
Hold on to the good bits
Learn from the bad
Reminisce but never be sad

As the yellow bus leaves and the subway arrives
As vibrance and promise meet its untimely demise
A new chapter should start, engulfed in hope
Who are you to sit and mope?
Embrace the uncertainty, find out what it means
To have no direction at seventeen
An endless game of “pick your path”
Taunting your mind
Like you can almost hear it’s laugh

Navy colored caps fly like the birds in the sky
The Amazon damp like the Sahara is dry
Lowering sun makes space for the moon
Watch as nature perfectly emulates the truth

Lips stained red like a beating heart
Rushing adrenaline at the thought of a fresh start
Singing the blues for more reasons than one
When you realize that your colorful youth is done

Process

This poem was created after I completed this painting. While they have slightly differing moods, they both still connect. The painting took around 12 hours over the course of a month or so (I am a very slow painter). It is done entirely with acrylic paint and was comprised of mostly mixed colors. The painting is of a teenage girl who wears a dissatisfied expression in comparison with the bright colors surrounding her. This shows that she, as a person, isn’t particularly feeling as bright and cheery as the colors might suggest. In fact, she is feeling quite bored and mundane despite being quite literally decorated with colorful things or the expectations of the people around her. This connects to the poem, which discusses inner conflicts about growing up and moving into new chapters with less enthusiasm than expected. This poem was also inspired by some of my own personal favorite songs about growing up and moving through different life phases.