At the age of three, I saw Monsters Inc. in the theaters
Though my memory has become faded and frayed
Like an old pair of paint-stained jeans
I can still savor the saltiness of the popcorn and the sweetness of my innocent wonder
As I gaze at the frightening, yet fluffy monsters before me

At the age of seven, I clutched my blanket as I tiptoed to the downstairs TV
Careful to not stir my parents when the theme song starts to play
I, the little caterpillar, wrapped in my chrysalis of cotton
Crouched on the cushions of our couch
I couldn’t wait for the next episode
To continue the adventures of the coolest person I knew:
Kim Possible

At the age of nine, my friends and I scampered across the playground
Imitating the impressive magical feats of the Winx Club
Defeating the monsters of our imagination
As we darted across the grassy knoll
Like flashy polka dot and glitter butterflies
I felt the prickle of sprouting hairs upon my legs
And suddenly,
I wished that I was wearing tights

At age twelve, an aching heart beats inside my chest,
Awkward and off-putting, my once shining and smiling face
Has been replaced by a pale, pimpled canvas of braces and bruised beastliness
I have given up the folly of childhood and decided to face the future
Like a condemned criminal
Crawling toward the gallows of puberty
I turned to YouTube, giving into a friend’s request to tune into some cartoon from Japan
As the screen filled with images of shining eyes that swallow the characters’ faces
And silly situations that are about as realistic as thinking that middle school would get better
I felt a sensation that had escaped me since I had been exiled from elementary school:
Enchantment

At age sixteen, I have returned to the world of moving drawings
As eager as I was when I first met Mike and Sully over a decade ago
However, this world is evolving too
This is no longer just the sanctuary from the war-torn world outside
But the battlefield of revolution and the trumpet cry for change
The place where everyone has a part to play
Regardless of the pigment of their skin
The place where children first learn about prejudice and ignorance
Before they see it outside their homes
The place where seeing two women express their love for each other
Gives my friends the confidence to confide in me that they cannot call themselves straight

Now, at eighteen,
I stand at the bridge between the bubble of childhood
And the ocean of adulthood
Though the waters are vast and frightening
And filled with fangs of fearsome foes
I will just keep swimming
And if I should be isolated in icy waters
I need only a pencil and notebook
To travel back to the time where magic could be made
With moving lines and imagination