Reflections in Time

Growing up is not easy—
Why does it feel so heavy inside?
Each passing day feels like a restless night,
As though the dawn has forgotten how to arrive.
Dreams feel distant, voices grow low,
And answers hide where we cannot go.

Morning coffee tastes the same each day,
Routine slowly steals the colours away.
Sometimes the heart wants to scream aloud,
Yet learns to whisper within the crowd.
Unsaid words and expectations stay,
Turning simple moments into weight.

Once, happiness lived in little things,
A chocolate bought, the joy it brings.
A careless laugh, a moment small,
Yet rich enough to mean it all.
Those gentle smiles still softly remain,
Untouched by time, untouched by pain.

But time moves forward, never kind,
Leaving softer versions of us behind.
Innocence fades, replaced by thought,
By lessons life has slowly taught.
The heart grows guarded, firm and still,
Learning strength against its will.

Mornings once owned by laughter and play
Are now captured by deadlines each day.
Clocks move faster, silence grows,
Between the dreams we chase and those we lose.
Responsibility knocks before we’re ready,
Leaving young hopes unsure, unsteady.

I long for laughter, warm and free,
The kind that once belonged to me.
Now joy appears in fleeting frames,
Hidden between effort and names.
Yet somewhere deep, it quietly stays,
Waiting patiently for gentler days.

When nights grow long and faith feels thin,
I search my past to look within.
In memories shaped by time and truth,
I find the courage of my youth.

For time does not only take away—
It teaches us how to stay.
And though the road ahead feels wide,
I walk it still, with hope inside.
The reflections of time softly say:
Keep going—your light will find its way.

DHRUVIKA JAIN

APEEJAY SCHOOL, MAHAVIR MARG, JALANDHAR