Little boy loses his way,
Tossed aside instead of asking what's wrong.
Locked away
Little boy thrown into the arena
Expected to be a gladiator,
But with no crowd there to cheer him on
Or even to openly mourn his circumstances
Left to the lions.

Little boy lost his way,
Locked in a tiny cage like the lion
Wondering if he was an animal or a man
Little boy could not reach for the stars through the steel perforated door
In the world where everything echoed,
Even his demons.
Little boy forgot how to laugh

But then one day,
Little boy grew
Thrived even without being given the proper nutrients,
Proper sunlight.
Even without the proper space,
His roots grew strong
Despite the efforts of his captors.

Little boy grew into a man,
One who will hold my hand on visiting days,
Steal a kiss when the guards aren't looking.
Who laughs and smiles,
Telling me how beautiful I am despite how much the world has reminded  him of his own imperfections.
Who has hope for the future
Despite being told that he was no one.

I fell in love with the little boy who forgot about love and found it again with unjaded eyes, as a solitary man.