[Child of God]: 416.Poetry.I Am Who You Were

Why do you look at me like that?
With such cold eyes
And a smug smirk
Or distugsted grimice.

Is it my clothes?
My hair?
My eyes?
My shoes?
Did I look at you the wrong way?
All I did was smile and ask how you were . . .

Why did you just throw your money at me
When I told you the charge?

Why do you look at me
Like I'm only trouble
And up to no good?
I understand why security follows me wherever I go
That others have given those my age a bad rep
But what did I do to you?

All I did was smile
Try to held make your day better
But you look at me like I'm nothing
Like I'm lower than the dirt beneath your feet.

You used to be my age too!
You probably did worse things than I have done!
But you still treat me like I'm nothing . . .

Yet you were my age at one time too!
Do you see yourself in me?

Don't forget you were once my age
Once stereotyped
Once looked down on by others old than yourself.

I am only who you were
So why do you look at me like that?
Why do you look at yourself and your future that way?