Innocence

Looked at the stars of hope in her eyes,

Little girl, don’t let this world take away your shine.

Bright, wide-eyed, the little fool was.

Said she believed in love and all that was pure.

How weary is growing up,

I wondered as she expressed her thoughts.

Was I, too, ever so juvenile?

Now my world has collided with reality.

So much hate, so many mind games later.

I’m the cynic who I once argued with.

No! I would tell them, believe, I would say.

How could I have ever gotten this way?

I know the answer to that, oh, how ironic.

The world I looked upon with so much hope taught me a valued lesson.

No love lost! Because there was no love.

Just heartbreak, and disarray.

But I wished she would not come to the same fate.

For those eyes held hope beyond I could ever say.

I wished her youthful oblivion would keep her safe.

Only the monsters in storybooks, I hope she will face.

For the world is much more gruesome than that,

For the world is cruel on innocence.