The Generation Gap
They say we live in different worlds,
But sleep beneath the same blue sky.
You tap a screen to chase your dreams,
I built mine brick by brick, by try.
You speak in gifs, in memes, in snaps,
I wrote in cursive, mailed with stamps.
You stream your music from the clouds—
We spun it slow on vinyl clamps.
We watched the clock; you watch your feed.
We mowed the lawn; you plant a seed—
A digital one, that blooms in likes,
While we were told to “earn our stripes.”
I see you swiping through your fate,
Chasing now, postponing late.
And you see me as stuck in time,
Too slow to code, too quick to rhyme.
But who is wrong? And who is right?
The world keeps changing overnight.
My boots have walked through dust and war,
Your shoes have danced on data's floor.
You question rules we never could.
We trusted teachers, priests, and wood—
The kind that built the pews and pews,
Before you dared to fact-check news.
You don’t believe in staying still.
We stayed for jobs, for God, for will.
You bounce from cityscape to screen,
Unsettled, yes—but wide and keen.
You burn out fast, but burn so bright.
We simmered slow, but held the light.
You crave a voice; we swallowed doubt.
We kept things in. You let them out.
Still—there’s wisdom on both sides of this wall.
You hear a whisper? I hear a call.
Where you say "system," I say "scheme."
Where I say "duty," you say "dream."
Yet look—we meet where silence sits:
In laughter shared, or quiet bits.
You roll your eyes, I shake my head,
But neither knows the path ahead.
You’ve taught me things I never knew:
That love is love, and truth is due.
That power bends when it’s unchecked,
That time is short, and self-respect
Can beat a paycheck, title, ring—
And that you owe no soul a thing
That costs your joy, your health, your mind.
We sought to serve; you seek to find.
But don’t forget, we once were fire.
We raised you with a mix of wire
And wood and wind and work and grace.
We set the table, made the space.
Now you must cook the meal ahead,
With tools we never dreamed to thread.
Just know: this gap is not a rift.
It's only time, and time will shift.
So when you talk, I’ll try to hear.
And when I speak, please come near.
This gap we name is just a seam—
Between one generation’s dream
And yours, which isn’t wrong or right—
Just different stars in different night.
