Where did my childhood go?

Walking back from work one day,
I saw the kids at the playground play;
sliding, skating, jumping around;
taking turns on the merry go round.
High pitched squeals of laughter
made me stop and wonder;
weren’t there days when I did the same?
Playing around and never tame?

Hanging upside down on the monkey bar,
jumping off the swing just when its that far;
those were just classic me.
Of course, back then I was too free.
Barbies were my prized possessions(still are);
Doctor sets were miniature tools for my future profession.
Play Doh cakes and delicacies;
were one of my many fantasies.

Where in the world did my childhood go?
Or did I just lose it in the flow;
of things I never imagined I would do,
in places I never thought I would get to
So this is what they mean
when they say to a teen
‘You’ll know when you grow up’
That life is just f****ed up.