I didn’t realize until now,

That when you’re young you make a vow:

To chase and always stay “it” —

To swear you’d never quit.

I tried my best through eighteen years,

Tagging others, laughs and cheers.

Back then, we were wild with glee,

Though no one listened—carefree,

We’d sprint until shadows grew,

Till daylight slipped from view.

Then one day, I hated “it,”

And so we split.

Suddenly, the past seemed so far,

A faint and fading star.

Now grown, I run a different race,

Tracking time I can’t replace.

This time, I’m sly, I calculate,

But the rules have changed—I’m too late.

Now we’re frail, our hands unsteady,

Bones like glass, our steps unready.

The game we loved is out of reach,

Like waves receding from the beach.

So we turn toward that quiet door,

Where shouts and sprints are no more.

Heaven waits, serene, forgiven—

Oh, how I miss when we were seven

Now time has tagged us, soft and slow,

No more running—we both know.

But I’ll recall the joy we threw,

And walk that path at last with you.