The Timeless Kid Leader: A Poem for Taeyeon on Her 25th Birthday

To our Kim Taeyeon,
Precious in beauty, in love, and in worth,
We pause for a moment
To celebrate your day of birth

She may be oldest by age
But if judged by outward appearances alone,
We’re fooled by her baby-faced features
And her heart-melting expressions shown

While she may not be able to reach
Those shelves set too high
Even if a little vertically challenged,
There are always ups to being fun-sized

Now let’s picture that silly, goofy-grinned dork,
Whose eyes are filled with wonder and innocence,
Striking a seductive and captivating pose
Oh what poise, what child-like elegance!

She loathes and shivers at aegyo,
Stubbornly insisting that she has none,
But that little bundle of cuteness
Keeps proving herself wrong

A strange fondness for peas,
Though fans gave her amusing affection no mind
Instead gifts were presented in response,
A collection undoubtedly formed over time

Let’s not forget her contagious laugh
Atrractive, hearty, and deep
Nor her bizarre and entertaining habits,
Such as DJ-ing and solving math problems in her sleep

No critic nor skeptic can deny
Her mesmerizing and spellbinding voice
Able to captivate an unyielding crowd
Stunning and silencing that cynical noise

With every note that she belts,
Every key that she strikes
Breathtakingly powerful yet sweet
A perfected craft at its height

But under a carefully composed shield
Beneath her endearing charm
Lies someone who’s reserved and guarded
Revealing a person wary of impending harm

To reach perfection, to be flawless in every way
That elusive answer may come with time
But our wish for our dear Taeyeon
Is to refrain from being too cautious and to enjoy life

Thrust into the scrutiny of an unforgiving world
And with the added pressure to lead
A child who grew up too fast
But fully determined and ready to succeed

Protective and watchful over what she holds dear,
To her members, fans, beliefs, she does not shy away
She stands up for what she believes in
Fierce and righteous and not afraid

A different leader and atypical in a sense,
Strong and unmistakable before Girls’ Generation’s prime
After leading them to sound success, she changed her course,
To step back, to let the others shine

No matter where your journey takes you next
To new beginnings, to a time when we will have to part
Just know that you will always and forever remain
The Kid Leader who has stolen our hearts

Image Sources: Soshified Photo Gallery, sosimallow, MBC Radio, RGB, flying petals