when do we lose our childlike enthusiasm?
where did we drop the need for fresh air and imagination
while picking up habits and challenges?

trees to climb
swings to grasp
sunrays to catch

when do we lose the ability to be oblivious?
when do we start to notice the dirt and stink
instead of the light and amusement?

how easily we are trained to despise
   bugs, snow, ***** dishes and dusty living rooms.
things once enjoyed or unseen
   attack the mind from immeasurable angles.

when does a sense of lost time begin?
where did we lose a sense of inner peace and simply being
in the panic of a lost day?

errands to run
houses to clean
lost sleep to find

when do we learn to draw the lines of priorities?
when do we start to feel exhaustion and ache
instead of exhilaration and glee?

how simple things turn complicated and unmanageable
   cars, work, insurance quotes and bank statements.
things now necessary to progress
   are dead weight with pounds of options.

when do we come to know bitter as more than a flavor?
when do we start to understand deep regret and sorrow
instead of apologies and accidents?

lovers to spite
tears to banish
mishaps to unravel

when do we decide to settle?
when do we lose the desire to dream and achieve
only to replace it with fear and mediocrity?

how suddenly our lives come to as good as it gets
   the job, the house, the spouse.
things sought for reasons truly unknown
    buried in twisted responsibilities.

weight to lose
wrinkles to remove
aging to face

When do we begin to grow old?