Where does the innocence
of childhood go?

a time when mom was
all it took to sooth life's sorrows

when rocks and trees were
the foundations of our
imaginary castles

when we used hugs and kisses
as our currency of choice.

was your best friend was the one
with pigtails who you just meet
on the swings?

or was he the one who no one
seemed to like, but always made
you smile.

how is it that we've lost this part
of our being?

does it flee with the passing
of time? or the coming of age?

does it retreat due to a compromised
simplicity? or does it surrender to
newer and grander things

some it seems are able to retain
a sliver of their youth and
have that eternally vibrant glow.

but are they not frowned upon by
those of us who grew up too soon?