Innocence Lost

A rare comment today by a rare reader lead me to read through my old blog entries. (Apparently, my writing has improved! Actually, I think I agree.)



I came across the poem I wrote for my brother last summer - Looking At Stars. I really like that poem, it really captured the my feelings at the time. A year on, though, so much have changed...



Innocence Lost

Here we are again, under the starry skies
Sitting on a ledge, the waves crashing below us
You ignore the stars, the sea and the foam,
You put your arms around me protectively: "sit closer, or you'll fall," you said.

What happened to your childish wonder?
What happened to your questions about the Pleiades, Orion, and The Dog?
You no longer notice the heavens; those lights no longer draw your attention.
Your only focus is on earth, the darkness, and whether your sister will fall.

I can see the man you are trying to be,
I can see you trying to be older and stronger.
You ask me questions I can not answer, that no man can answer,
All those questions of "Why", "wherefore", and "how".
It breaks my heart to remember you are only eleven...
I would pluck the stars from the sky to see your eyes light up again.

I'm sorry it happened this way,
I'm so sorry I wasn't there to protect you
I'm sorry for everything that I am not,
I'm sorry for everything that I am,
For everything that you deserve, that I couldn't give you.

There is One who is greater than me,
One who will always be there for you.
He is enough for your every need, in every way,
He whose sandals I am not fit to carry
Will lead us home when we are lost in the darkness.

I pray that you learn how to be a child again
With a childish wonder, a childish faith.
A child of God, protected, and loved,
Like a son of the King of Kings.