Innocence and bliss
Play pretend on my grandfather’s porch.
They bring laughter and joy with them
And never invite fear or worry.

I hesitate to return,
For fear that I shall never leave
Because as my childhood memories grow and expand
My fondness soon turns to envy

For I can remember a time,
A time when the world was mine.
Where everyone cheered for me
And rejoiced when I found glee

A time when Mondays meant new beginnings,
Not tardies and regrets.
When books led to happy endings,
Instead of essays and frets.

But as I set my sights ahead
It seems that some wise words are never dead
“For all children grow up, except one”
And I’m far from done.

As a wound heals and scars
So should I
Never to forget my childhood
But to simply move on.

I'm not sleeping
because I'm afraid of the nightmares
        I bare
when I'm asleep and no one's there.

I'm not sleeping
because I fear,
in less than a day,
she won't be there
or she'll push me away.

I'm not sleeping
because I think about the things to
        come -
the good and the bad.

The nightmares keep me up.
More attacks on the innocent
to be screened inside.
Mostly in schools,
once underground.
Flaw-full students,
ones with glasses or inconsistent
        tardies.
Or innocent princesses,
animated and have come to life.
Attacks from the power gone evil.
Principals become ******
and evil witches or queens grow
        the size of skyscrapers.

The innocent become meerkats
in the ground when the hyena
appears.
Travel great depths to find the one
to help them save the world.
Wake up before justice is served.

I'm not sleeping
because I can't stop the mare
and save my mind.
Wake up in fear
and then have her push me away.

But I need to sleep
so I don't explode
when I am pushed.

I'm not sleeping
because of fear.

It was a glorious affair in the high school cafeteria  
and my boss said hello to me and I sang along with
the band..."I'm Yours"
And somehow you ended up across from me so here I am
with three men surrounding me when I don't feel that popular
but you have taken a peculiar interest in me like when I can't
count up all the tardies, and you help me out in a meeting
and I fixed the copy machine and you could make a thousand and one
copies of dissections, but there you were again.  
And you found a way to put your dead preserved animal away
because I was upset.  No one would do that for me they just make fun
if I don't like poor dead creatures displayed to children.
The admin supervising over
us like we're a bunch of kids...and there you are with your inquisitive face
and I always thought you were the cutest teacher...but you brushed me off and
brought another woman to my play and I understood except now you
are talking about what I'm doing over break and it's the second time you asked
me and you remember what I said I was doing over the summer, except my
cat died so I didn't finish my script.  And you just have that look.  
When a man is looking into my eyes wondering what it would feel like to
be next to me naked and would I take care of him like his mother did?
And I am wondering if you are a skillful lover and do you snore?
And so maybe we will make plans, or maybe not.  But that was definitely
a love spark, my friend.

In tenth grade myself and nine other students were sent to the principals office to be dealt with due to too many tardies.

As I waited for it to be my turn to give my excuse, I listened to the other excuses so as to make certain I didn't use the same one someone else used. The excuses were many
and lame.

Finally, I was next in line and the principal
Said in frustration, "No excuses are going to be sufficient unless it has to do with the torrential rains we've been having lately.

I had my excuse! I told him, well I had every intention to get to school early this morning. I woke up early and everything
was going according to plan without a hitch. Then, as Fate would have it, I turned the key in the ignition and the car wouldn't start. And it was due these torrential rains lately.

He asked, "What does your car not starting have to do with the rain?"

I said, "The **** thing must have been flooded!"

He laughed and excused me.