In the end,
I knew the beginning.
Only then could I recall
the joy and ease
of a child's existence.
So pure
so unhinged
so far removed
from all that is chaos.
I felt so cheated
to have slipped
unknowingly
out of beauty
into madness.
The adult envies the infant,
forever wrapped in a blanket
of comfort and warmth,
a being radiating
with unconditional gratitude
for all hands
that touch,
for all voices
that sing,
for all tastes
that satiate,
for all scents
that stir up love,
and for all eyes
that instill
depths of knowing
beyond age.
Oh, wise infant,
remember your early years,
recall the joy of dependence.
Forever cherish
those who delivered you
into this world,
however harsh or forgiving
it may be.