I wish I could write
A poem of simplicity
Of innocence
Of sunshine and lemonade
Of baseball with friends
Of Mother Goose and nursey rhymes
But every time
The world tells me to write
My mask slips away
And I wear my soul
On my sleeve

Maybe I don't long
For a poem of innocence
Maybe I yearn
For melting popsicles
Fresh cut grass
Toothless smiles
When we didn't ask why
But why not
When the sky
Really was the limit
And all our backs
Were burdenless

Time has passed
We've traded innocence
For wisdom
Traded laughter
For strained smiles
Traded happiness
For success

If only
There was a way
To take it all back