High Schooler

I say I know what I want to be
I say I’ve got it all planned out
Toss around big words, GPA’s and SAT scores
I say I’ve seen all the bumps and passed over them already
But in truth I’m wandering
Not even sure if I’m on the right path
Running into roadblocks
My dreams an elusive specter
That I’m desperately trying to follow
A light, dancing madly
While reality drags behind it
A dark shadow
Wanting to engulf it
The expectations of others at my back
Tugging me
Pulling me
Apart
And inside
The pressure to impress
Dividing me

How I can make the decisions today that will affect the rest of my life
Affect if I have a life
Worth living?
How can I cram a life’s worth of potential and learning
Into 11 yrs?
Everything goes from this
How can I know who I will be in later days?
How can I make choices for that person?
Slowly melting under the pressure
Still with my faux confidence
This is the real world
No room for screw-ups
One mistake and you’re gone
And you have the rest of your life to mourn
And wish you did better
Is it even possible
To succeed?