i was told to go for it
so i took off
sprinting down the bristled path
stones spearing the underbelly of my feet

i have since grown faster

i was told to reach for it
so i extended
my double-jointed limbs stretching forward
grazing the outer cusp of the runaway intangible

i have since grown taller

i was told i’d understand when i got older
—why I was too slow, why I was too small—
—why the elusive still escaped despite all odds—
so i put on my dad’s work shoes
and strutted in a sequin gown mom wore once
hoping my exterior would age me ten years

i have since grown older

and I now know dreams are hard to capture—

so I have since grown up.