Oh what I'd give to be given a second chance to be a child
To run in the rain as it pours
and feel free, not heavy
To watch the droplets in the widow run down slowly
as I stare in awe
as the thunder and lightning paint the sky
I wanna see the rainbow and
thank god for my blessings
To feel no anger towards him
I wanna run outside in the field
and collect flowers
Then put them behind my ear
Play make-believe
Where I live in a castle
Chase fairies
And find giant mushrooms in the forest
I wanna talk to animals
run barefoot through the dirt
I wanna feel the ground touch the bottom of my feet
and laugh
I wanna laugh
I want the sun to kiss my skin
And put light and color into my face
I wanna whisper my secrets into the waves
Watch them wash away in everyone else’s clandestine
I wanna grasp that dream at the threads
and never let go
You see a childhood
is filled with unforgettable memories
Soft, sweet, secure
Heavy hearts with radiant light
and happiness
Souls pure and free
But not everyone had a book like that
I lived in a home
where the windows rattled with anger
I found myself craving
a fuel of forgotten happiness
I got empty pages a void unable
to be filled
I tried hard to piece
the little moments together
But you can’t complete a puzzle
with half its pieces missing
The pages will never expose
the truth behind my childhood
But in the end
Maybe that's a good thing
And if there is anything
I have learned
It’s that oftentimes
accepting that is the only way to move on
--Asha D. 9th-12th Grade.
