Sense of Innocense

If I would have known that all I knew all the
way back then when I was growing up just
a silly dumb young kid, still attached to my
childish ignorance of the world around us
with my virtuous innocence, everything that
I know now, I would have just thrown a big
old fuss, then jump up and down stomping
the ground kicking my feet as I scream just
as loud as I can NO NO NO I won't, then
outright refuse to take it anymore, which
will more than likely cause me to get a
whooping or sent to some psych ward by
my parents because along with everyone
else would think that I went a little crazy
as I say the heck with being an adult, I
will not ever grow up, then I never would
have fallen in love, but instead, I would do
what I always did, whenever all the girls
would come around, we would scream
"Ewww", girls have the "cooties", in which
I still believe, then pull on their pigtails,
as we push them down to the ground
still trying to kiss us, then run just as
fast I could as far away as I can all
because I would finally understand
that going from that young awkward boy
whom I was, which today I need to say
seems many lifetimes ago to grow up
until here and now to be the man whom
I have become who is filled with so much
disappointment, anger, and pain from
all of the many broken hearts that comes
when all the love you once had when
you were just a child filled with a sense
of innocence needing not to be acquired
to a much different kind of love which is
so much harder to find let alone trying to
hold on to it as it requires so many different
factors, making me want to go back to
being that loving child who loved anyone
and everyone who was loved by just about
all around him forever and through eternity
so if one day if I disappear nowhere to be
found just look back in your memories and
photographs for that is where I will be with
a smile on my face for everyone who smiling
back at me.

Poet Richard M Knittle Jr.
A #Poets Journey
Texas Poet Laureate Nominee 2016-2020