Life hasn’t jaded you yet

they say

just wait

I shrug

provide a kind grin

understanding their sentiment

empathizing with their outlook

what’s brought them here

to this dim conclusion

YET

What you don’t recognize, dear friend

is that I was born from the bosom of Gaia

out of her mantle I emerged

nourished from her roots

cut from her pith

I set off to be as her leaves

soaking up vibrant light

allowing unnecessary substances to slide down my delicately rugged, evolved shape

floating off to be with the wind

to one day return home

Dear friend

YET will not come for me

How dare I disappoint

the sun and water

the dirt

the worms and bugs

by letting their hard work go to waste

No

YET will not come for me

for the world and all its mayhem stands microscopic against nature and all her cycles

after every winter there are flowers, every scorching summer day precedes fall’s cool relief

every element of my existence is a catalyst

for the human I’m metamorphosing

every PSI

every Celsius degree

every minute

culminates to create all the finest jewels in the world

So,

shit on me

take my job

take my friends

take my hopes and dreams

take my freedom

take whatever it is you think will make me reach this

YET

you speak of

and I’ll show you my tree-born mind-state

my rooted perseverance

my sunny disposition

I’ll show you my growth

what I’ve learned

all my scars

I’ll show you the weight on my shoulders

the tears I’ve cried

the innocent humans who’ve died

the wars that are raging

the hate displaying

a world confused

too ignorant, too short fused

chaos, brutality

the mistreated escaping reality

and as we’re standing there

over all this

watching the madness of this world

bubble like magma

the responsibilities and worries

becoming an unbearable pressure

I will turn to you

and take your hands in mind

saying

we have not YET to become jaded

but to become one

with the jade that we are