Innocence

Something I wrote a long time ago...

Innocence

An innocence surrounds her
Purifies her being
The slate of her soul
Serenely untouched
Except by her Maker
And those He entrusted her to

The eyes are not marked by sadness
Contemplation of worth and value
Do not overshadow or cloud them
Comparison with another
Does not enter her mind

Her hands are not afraid to touch
Her mouth to speak and taste
The world is for her enjoyment
A playground for her pleasure
Delight and eagerness illuminate
Every beautiful feature

Is it possible to pinpoint the exact moment
The precise fragment of time
When the innocence is invaded
The first shocking disappointment
The first heart shattering hurt
The first gut wrenching sob

It seems so cruelly unfair
That the innocence must always end
But in fact it does
Suddenly and without warning
And after that she's never quite the same
A version of herself but less somehow
Less trusting, less joyful, marked by life

I like to dream sometimes
To close my eyes and gaze into the heavens
And imagine that little girl
All grown up and finally meeting her Maker
And in her eyes the uninhibited joy has returned
Her soul unmarked, her innocence restored
Completely.
Not a version of herself anymore.
The original beauty.