I barely realized when I felt grown-up enough to say
With an eye roll or a sigh, “kids these days”
For two decades or so I had simply thought
That my generation was the most modern, suddenly I found it was not..
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I stand amongst the oldest millennials, therefore
There is a gap of a generation or more
Between my generation Z child and me
We view the world quite differently
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When the differences between the generations I try to dissect
I find that the most outstanding aspect
Of the new generation is its flexibility
Much change in their lifespans they’ve had to see
On a spectrum of rigidity to fluidity
You can map out my parents’ generation to gen Z
Nimble on their feet and adaptable to change
Their loyalties are weaker, but wider is their range
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Hierarchy for its sake they do not endorse
To bow down to authority unquestioningly they cannot be forced
A more just and equitable world they want to see
At the same time they are more confused about their identity ..
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Sometimes “kids these days” exasperate me
Mostly, though, they are as good as my generation used to be
Passion...unbridled 