Ah, the cherubs with demonic tendencies
Who smile and laugh with joy and ease —
Who doesn’t look in awe at these?
And what icy heart won’t soon unfreeze
At the sight of they who play so free,
So unburdened by those burdensome things
Like time, mistakes, morality,
They look so light they might take wing.
But the burdens still are ours
And so too are the dreams
And while the cherubs pick their flowers
In your mind remain the screams
Of a conscience that is coming through
As “children are scary”
But what it’s really telling you
Is, “they really should be scared of me.”
Writer In Retrospect 
A delightful poem, Rachel! You are such a talented writer. 🙂 Happy Halloween!
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Thank you! Happy Halloween. 😈
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Nicely perceptive, Rachel. Perfectly toned for the week leading up to Halloween.
Of the three adult preoccupations you cite – time, mistakes, and morality – the first two are inevitable aspects of, and the last is crucial to, adulthood. Those who are untroubled by the trio inspire, simultaneously, wonder and dread.
How spooky. Fear packs much more of a wallop when it lurks just beyond the light.
Or am I guilty of one of the tags you list below, overthinking? In which case, ignore the above – good writing, Rachel!
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I oft may be a contrarian, but your insight is always welcome. And in that sense, yes, children can be… concerning. My inclusion of morality in my list of “burdensome” things that children lack was half a joke and half a truth. A child’s innocence comes at the cost of a lack of experiences from which to draw things like empathy or a determination of right and wrong. Though the most truly terrifying thing is not anything they are, but the mirror they can so easily become.
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Oooh (that is how it’s spelled, right?), Rachel, I love it! “(T)he most terrifying…the mirror they can so easily become.” Wowzer, that’s profound!
Make no mistake, there is positively no sarcasm in the above. Mind [explosion sound] blown!
One of these days, when the line graces Behavioral textbooks across academia, can I send you a volume for your autograph?
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Hah! At this rate, I might have to charge for my autographs. Don’t worry, I’ll give you the friends and family discount; at which point the cost comes down to… Something sweet and chocolatey.
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In which case, I better start planning now. There are some luscious expressions not yet published, and I’m saving the best of them for my payoff.
Gotta make sure it’s really awesome, as I’m angling for a personalized dedication here, not just an autograph. A Rachel original.
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Mmm… Sounds intriguing. I think we’ll be able to come to an arrangement.
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A perfect poem for the days leading up to Halloween!
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Heh, thanks!
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You’re welcome – ’tis the season! (Or ’twas … I’m always behind in Comments and Reader anymore.)
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My own perpetual problem. 😅
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Or children played in the streets and mothers said they were always in danger. Now they play on the internet and the mothers are all confident. Then when they suddenly disappear they despair.
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Children are fragile things, and it’s our job to protect them. Thus, the threats we can see can be blindingly terrifying. But the ones that we can’t are infinitely more so, for anyone thinking about it — or anyone who’s suffered from such.
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No, children are the scary ones. 😉
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Ha! I defer to your greater knowledge. 😜
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