stuffed animal kingdom.

01/07/2009

beautiful like a stained glass window
the first time you walked into church
when the thought of god still scared you
and the ceilings left you in awe.
when you wore dresses on sundays
and as much as you could in the week
and you would pretend to be a princess
with a stuffed animal kingdom
beautiful like the innocence of a bath
a blank slate of a body in bubbles
not recognizing or knowing the purpose
of anything within you.
laughing at faces that seem uncontrolled
holding hands eagerly, no lack of trust
the openness, eagerness, happiness
the beauty of something so pure.
to dedicate a whole day on the seaside
an architectural wonder of buckets and shovels
making the castle you'll someday live inside
not caring or knowing what the waves wash away
the fear of doing something wrong
and being punished by sitting alone
the omniscience of parents couldn't be broken
they could protect you from anything
the delight in a dessert of any kind
rather than guilt or shame following it
the feeling of being messy and dirty
and never having been more proud.
falling asleep with an early bedtime
and a bed time story that always starred you
the dreams that opened wide from it
the perfection of a young imagination
beautiful like the little girl still inside you
if only you should give in and just hope
as you sit in your princess costume
ruling over a stuffed animal kingdom.