(idea) by Metacognizant Mon Feb 05 2001 at 0:10:00
Fear

By Metacognizant

No adult ever knew what an adult was
other than a life-sized contradiction
to dance with and hurl around the room, because
an adult has fear
and so can be trusted
with a miserly gift of freedom
to be placed on the highest shelf not even unwrapped

Every child knows what a child is
knows the IRS forms and TV advertising
and mortgage and laundry and carpool
and fear of dark alleys and subways rides alone
mean Mommy and Daddy are still children

Every caged beast is just another child
covered as the bars may be by plush and
lovely curtains
push against them and your shoulder’s bruised
against the razor wire of this reality

How do we ever grow up?
dropping as we do from the dark canal into
the darker grave
our eyes open too slowly
to let in much light during
the brief hurtling fall back into blindness
I like it! 1 C!