Tween

In the hush between the playground’s shout
And the first sigh of teenage doubt,
Lives the tween – a bright‑in‑between,
Where crayon dreams and school‑day schemes
Lean against the locker’s gleam,
Half‑painted in the colours of yesterday,
Half‑whispered with the tunes of tomorrow’s play.

They trade their marbles for a mixtape,
Swap hopscotch lines for hallway tape,
While parents watch, half‑amused, half‑alarmed,
As voices crack and confidence is charmed.

In British halls, the bell still rings,
A uniform of possibles and things:
A satchel stuffed with comics, sums, and hopes,
A mind that flips between the ropes
Of childhood wonder and the teen’s first scoping,
Finding self in the quiet, in‑between hoping.

So here’s to the tween, that curious stage,
Where every day turns a fresh new page,
Balancing on the cusp of grown‑up art,
Still learning how to beat a childish heart.