When I Was Once a Child
When I was once a child, I didn’t have to stress about life,
My biggest worry was not being able to see my friends at night,
No rent to pay, no bills to settle,
My world was simple, like a bike with no pedals.
I didn’t care about the weight of the world on my parents’ shoulders,
Because in my world, all was light as feathers.
Everything just… flowed,
Like the gentle stream behind Grandma’s house where I used to go.
When I was once a child, Adults were a mystery,
Always rushing, always busy, chasing what seemed like distant dreams,
But me? I just wanted the best Jollof Rice and meat,
With a cold bottle of Pepsi to wash it down after school was over.
I didn’t know where the money came from,
But I knew somehow, it was there,
In the folds of my mother’s wrapper or from the hands of uncles/aunties who visited once a year.
When I was once a child, I could say anything,
Let my words fly free,
Spoke the raw truth, with no shame or apology.
I didn’t care who I hurt,
Because all I knew was that the truth stood firm.
No filters, no holding back,
A child with no fear, no cracks in my honesty.
And sports, oh sports,
Running barefoot in the sand,
Faster than the wind, like I was built to withstand,
I never cared if the sun burned hot on my skin,
Or if I’d fall, I’d just rise up again, and again.
From football in the streets to jumping over walls,
I was an athlete by nature, with no fear of falls.
With medals and trophies no questions needed,
Just the pure joy of running, being undefeated.
I didn’t worry about romantic relationships,
Not then, not ever,
Because what was love to a heart so free,
Untouched, unbroken, as wild as the sea?
I only knew friendships, so pure and true,
No lies, no betrayal, no “fake I miss you.”
Now I am an Adult,
And the hustle hits differently, the grind’s no longer distant.
I feel the weight of bills piling like Lagos traffic,
Chasing opportunities like there’s fuel scarcity, praying I won’t be static.
I get it now — my parents didn’t have it easy,
Life’s hustle is raw, fast-paced, and never breezy.
Now I wake up early, just like they did,
Stretching time to make ends meet, no matter how hard I hid.
The stress of providing, the struggle to survive,
I now understand the sacrifices they made to thrive.
The endless grind, the sleepless nights,
It’s far more than I imagined, far beyond the heights.
The rent, the school fees, the dreams on hold,
I’m living their reality, a truth once untold.
The hustle they faced is now mine to bear,
And the weight of responsibility is heavy in the air.
I used to think adulthood was just a far-off place,
But now I’m running the same race, feeling the same chase.
Their struggle was real, and now I see,
The weight of adulthood has finally caught up to me.
But now, looking back as a grown-up child,
I see the struggle, the grind that makes life worthwhile.
I see my parents’ sweat, their hustle, their pain,
All to keep me laughing, and dancing in the rain.
I understand now why they worked so hard,
Why their backs bent, why their faces were scarred.
When I was once a child,
I thought life was easy, a never-ending song,
But now I know that childhood doesn’t last long.
And though we grow, though life gets tough,
We carry the child within, that’s more than enough.
To remind us of days when we were wild and free,
When life was simple, just you and me.
So here’s to the child in every Nigerian heart,
The one who laughed, ran, and played their part.
The one who believed in magic and dreams,
The one who was fearless, chasing every gleam.
May we never forget, never let go,
Of the child we once were, who helped us grow.
