If one day I truly grow up

If one day I truly grow up,
I suppose I won't be young any more;
I'll worry and look after my health,
go to bed early and work hard every day.

If one day I truly grow up,
I suppose I'll listen more,
choices won't be so hard,
I'll know how to love and respect myself.

If one day I truly grow up,
I only hope you'll still be there, Mum,
to see your little boy
all grown, so you won't have to worry.

Because, Mum, with every passing day
I feel myself grow smaller,
my heart is still a child's,
still naive, still full of mistakes.

And Mum, are you happy?
Do you feel you are growing up,
or are you like me, all in a muddle,
unsure whether to grow up or grow small?

If one day I decide to grow up,
I suppose the world will be glad;
you won't see your little one any more,
because the world needs the little one to grow.

When I grow up, Mum, hold me,
hold me the way you did when I was small,
because when I was small the whole world was you,
and grown up, the world is only me.

---

Phong, 29 August 2022
First published in Vietnamese on Phong is writing. English translation for this site.