Sugar Seventeen. Days that are so bright.
Life of rose, in sweet river, tasting like beet.
******* better than adult's freedom; Pain, so sweet.
Free from hustle and bustle, time of light.
But your light is for a while, then fade like night.
You are just a sweet dream. We wake to meet
With the truth, after we've had your moment so sweet.
You fade as time rides close on his bike with might.
Since you are a dream, Let us not be loser,
Like those who cry, "Had I known?"
Let's have good time as soon as possible.
Forget the morrow, jolly, 'cause time's bike draws closer.
With my pen and note, I will note my sweet moment now.
That on the morrow, my youth will be memorable.
"Sugar Seventeen" is a poignant and introspective poem that explores the themes of youth, time, and the transition to adulthood. sweetness, fragility, and fleeting nature of youth. Using the image of time riding swiftly on a bike, it reminds us that the years pass faster than we often realize.
Structurally, it is a modern adaptation of the Petrarchan sonnet — fourteen lines with a clear volta, or “turn,” at line nine. The opening octave reflects on the beauty and dreamlike quality of youth, while the sestet shifts to an urgent call: to savour the present before it slips away.
Some may argue that childhood period is eighteen years, but I believe that the moment you turn eighteen, the world sees you differently — as an adult, responsible for your choices and expected to step into the working life. That turning point is why I wrote this nostalgic poem: to preserve the memory of my own youth before it slipped away.
"Sugar Seventeen" is both a celebration of the beauty and innocence of being young, and a gentle acknowledgment of the responsibilities and complexities that come with growing older. Its message is one of gratitude, mindfulness, and embracing the present moment before it fades into memory.
