Changes With Age

Ally Leinart and Trina McDonald

I wish that I could fly/

Way up in the sky/

Like a bird so high/

Oh, I might just try,/

Oh, I might just try.

 

A little girl reading this poem might only see the surface of the meaning. She imagines flying like a bird, gliding, and soaring without falling. A teen finds the hidden message, between the lines. The message of suicide and depression, which is becoming more and more common, leaks through the playfulness of the childlike innocence. As we grow older and more mature, we learn that everything is not rainbows and kittens.

Perspective is a fragile concept that is always changing. From the time we are born to the time we die, our perspective changes hundreds of times. One person could look at a painting and see a story of heartbreak, while you look at the same painting and only see blobs of color. Neither are wrong- both of your perspectives are right, only different. At one point in your life you could think pink is the most beautiful color ever, but the next moment you could think pink is disgusting and gag every time you see it. It all just depends on life experiences and how one grows up.

In this day and age, teens will look at poems like the one above and listen to songs about killing yourself or hating yourself. They are told and exposed to all of the world’s problems and hate from an early age. They are showed that being sad or weak is not okay and that they should hide it. You may not know when most teens are sad, unless you know what you are looking for. Some signs that can tell you if someone has depression or something is happening in their life include: that they start eating less or eating a lot, that they have a strong feeling of anger, or are feeling really sad all the time. Perspective is a strong but ever-changing concept that one second in life can shatter.

 

Poem from lyrics of Bullet by Hollywood Undead