They told us growing up was the goal… Nobody warned us it was a trap. They said grow up, fall in line, learn the rules Trade wonder for numbers, trade dirt for suits Smile on command, don’t ask why Wear the mask, keep it tight Call it adult like it’s holy and clean But it tastes like something’s been added to me Filtered joy, pasteurized dreams Adulterated truth in a corporate sheen Everybody tired, nobody knows why Cause the child inside’s been sentenced to quiet I kept my feet in the soil Stars in my sight Learned the system just enough To keep my fire alive They said grow up But I woke up That was the trick all along I didn’t lose my mind I remembered who I was Before they told me I was wrong Growing up’s a trap Unless you grow whole instead I stayed curious, stayed honest Didn’t turn myself to stone or dead If that’s “adult” I’ll stay un-adulterated Still a child with a grown woman’s soul Office face, family face, friend group disguise Different masks, same petrified eyes Everybody actin’ like they fine Punishing themselves into compliance They call it mature when you swallow your truth Call it normal when you murder your youth But innocence ain’t ignorance, wonder ain’t weak It’s the strongest damn thing they couldn’t beat Adults ain’t evil, they just froze mid-pain Petrified children, disciplined into shame Stone hearts taught to obey Call it growing up ............... I call it decay I didn’t abandon the child I stopped betraying her Stopped calling her naive So everyone else could feel superior I learned responsibility Without losing curiosity That’s not growing up That’s integration They said grow up But I woke up That was the trick all along I didn’t lose my mind I remembered who I was Before they told me I was wrong Growing up’s a trap Unless you grow whole instead I stayed soft where it mattered Kept my wonder fed If that’s “adult” I’ll stay un-adulterated Still a child with a grown woman’s soul Grow whole, not hard. Learn the rules ................ don’t let them learn you. Growing up was never the goal. Staying real was.
