i am naive
not ashamed of my ignorance
a child who believes
in dolphin-safe tuna
and doesn't know
what makes thunder
who is confused by ships
and wonders what makes glass break
who goes about in bare feet
and makes soap bubbles
and asks questions
but never too many
at once
who tries hard
not to expect anything more
than the occasional smile
so that everything after
is a gift
i never wanted to grow
beyond the awkward years
of asphalt-torn knees
and dirty hands
never wanted to say goodbye
to make-believe
or undone shoestrings
never wanted to be anything
but honest
and sympathetic
and unbearably patient
i've outgrown
those pastel dresses
but held fast
to little-girl ways
or so i like to believe
sometimes i think
if i were anyone else
i'd look at the person
busy being me
and wonder how she manages
to not let common sense
cloud her eyes
but seeing as my introspective sight
has been strained to legally-blind digits
it takes some time
for me
to appreciate
all the things i don't know
and don't care to
and i forgive those
who laugh at my unknowing
i play in the dirt
that's good enough
i don't envy the person
who's busy being anyone else
with her fists full
of practicality
and sensible reasoning
she can keep her life
and you can keep yours, too
and i can keep believing
in the idea of
environment-friendly
anything
Copyright 2005 doll on the rag
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Printed from www.DarkPoetry.com/dp/9853/69264 on Sunday July 06th, 2008 09:18 PM
Certain elements © 1996-2008 Matthew Steven (matts.org)
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