What’s it going to take 

To make me feel twelve again?

Twelve-

Splashing in puddles 

Made by sun showers,

Placing purple wildflowers 

In my braids and 

Pockets of bedazzled jeans

As loose as my heartstrings.

Twelve-

When my first heartbreak was 

Living and breathing, 

My last bit of freedom 

Before transitioning from 

Girlhood into womanhood.

Womanhood-

Something as petrifying to me as 

The reality of 

Growing up and 

Acknowledging death as normality.

Though my heart still aches by 

The thought of limitation,

I continue to choose liberation.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Naulia is 17 years old. She lives in Maine, USA with her mom, dad, and twin sister. She has been writing since she was 9 and she hopes that her writing can reach the hearts of people all over the world.

ABOUT THE EDITOR:
Jillian is an aspiring writer from Long Island, New York. Her work has received national recognition in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards and has been published in the Apprentice Writer literary journal. In fall 2020, she will be attending Stony Brook University to study creative writing. When she isn’t writing poetry or short fiction, Jillian is reading, riding horses, or drinking obscene amounts of tea.You can find her on Instagram @jmcarson_poetry.