I am the age of a deck of cards

 

I am the age of a deck of cards

From ace to king four times

I feel this age each single day

Having now changed my climes.

 

I am the age of weeks in a year

I'm not sure if I care

I stopped enjoying getting old

When life stopped being fair.

 

I am the age of Shakespeare, dead,

If you believe the tale

Supposed to teach the kids, and yet

My mind just draws a pale.

 

I am the age of just past pass,

I ought to have some fun

Should, yes, but I don't even know

What day the bin men come.

 

I am the age of Tellurium

But God, my head's not strong

Teenagers are all just mad

And we don't get along.

 

I am the age of little white keys

That play a sharpless tune

I never learned that ‘til just now;

Wasted all of June.

 

I am the age of a kids’ cartoon

I wouldn't understand

The jokes are childish, stupid, wrong,

And half of them, just bland.

 

I am the age of a Mexican phone

Whate’er that mad stuff means

But what really drives me up the wall;

I'm actually sixteen!

 

I am the age of four-by-four,

And clearly, I don't act

Everything I said before

Is total, blameless fact.

 

I am the age of parties, sweet,

But they make my head pound

The next house party that I see

Is burning to the ground.

 

I am the age of hot consent

And God, I'd rather not

With warmth, and touch, and noise, and touch,

It can get quite a lot.

 

I am the age of college kids

Doing my best to date

I get along with teachers, but

A friend my age'd be great.

 

I am the age of rebellion

But I just want some order

Ironically, in some respects,

It's due to a disorder.

 

I am the age of income tax

And I know what that means

I learned about it high on sweets

While others texted memes.

 

I am the age of ‘kind’ remarks

You're mature for your year!

And falling from their social favour

Brings overwhelming fear.

 

With autism, it's difficult

It can be great, it can be hard

Especially when, at just sixteen,

I am the age of a deck of cards.

 
Charli Withers

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