That which had been
is now clear to me
in my hard-earned maturity
what I absorbed
was folly
wrongly fed
by elders
who led lives
of lies and dishonesty--

poor lad
they taught you
what would but bring
life-long misery--

poor lad
how would you know then
people were not kind
but vicious and bad?

poor lad
in your unblemished innocence
you had fallen
into their evil trap-

poor lad
how you loved
the world--its wonder
all things beautiful
but your mind they poisoned
later your fragile heart
bled and bled-

but now
you are a man
exemplary and wholesome
you readily can
reach out
to lads who
come your way
to inspire
to enhance
to enrich
to ennoble
such that
at the end of day
a brave new lesson
will have fallen
upon their hearts
and minds
they will respond
with every resolve
and intention-
their best
they will bring forth
to serve
with unrelenting passion
their proud generation--

epilogue:

the once poor lad
would then have let
the past to rest
and healed the wounds
of broken innocence.