Jonathan Cheung

The Colors of Youth

by Jonathan Cheung

Youth is not necessarily red,

But sometimes it burns in our head.

Red like my Taekwondo belt, the CRACK of a perfect punch,

Like scarlet apples in my lunch - sweet, strong, and full of crunch.

No stop sign can hold me back. I move too fast for that.

Youth might be yellow, buzzing bright, bold, and mellow.

Like Pikachu’s spark or the first light of day,

A sunflower stretching in a field, finding its way.

Could youth be green?

The color of growing things, sharp and keen.

Green like frogs leaping through muddy streams,

Or the wild, unstoppable climb of my dreams.

Youth is sometimes blue

Cool as water, wide as sky, and true.

Like diving into the deep end with a fearless shout,

I am chasing the clouds as I figure life out.

Sometimes it feels white

A blank page, waiting for my fight.

A world not yet drawn, but full of might.

But youth is never black.

Even when I mess up, I bounce right back.

There’s always a glow - maybe small, maybe bright,

That reminds me: I still have my light.

So maybe our youth is every color and shade,

Each and every new day is ready to be made,

Colors intertwined with the everyday truth,

So tell me, what color is our youth?