Childhood, Lily Donat

Childhood

A clear puddle with rainboots penetrating the surface. Childhood is the sweets we rationed and shared, And when summer grew too hot we ran around shirtless And nobody cared.

A swimming pool was the ocean And we saw through our goggles the make believe fish. And in the swiftest, most innocent motion, His peck on your lips was your first kiss.

When reindeer and Santa were your biggest joys And afternoons were for playing pretend. When you always wished you had more toys Than your stuck up, bragging friend.

But we got wider, taller, smarter, though we thought that we couldn’t. And we all grew up, though we promised we wouldn’t.

Lily Donat