Pilot Light
I remember dreaming of what life might have in store.
Wild adventures that awaited
Daring paths I would explore.
Surely, years will pass so gracefully and I’ll remain carefree.
Childhood spirit never wavering,
Firmly rooted as a tree.
Our futures look so vibrant through the lens of youthful eyes.
No darkness yet from sunsets,
One continuous sunrise.
Reminders still unneeded – how to “focus on today.”
Staying in the present…
Is there any other way?
You grab my hand and dance with me. We’re not scared to act out yet.
Scraping knees and maybe elbows
These bumps and bruises we’ll forget.
Let’s fall on this grass in wonderment of all the stars at night.
We imagine who lives up there
Under magical moonlight.
Bit by bit and piece by piece, the daring path begins to change.
Adulthood has a different plan
And we safely rearrange.
Our wild spirit and those carefree days now get buried by routine.
Becoming well-behaved and fearful?
None of that at all foreseen.
The bruises all remembered. Stay in moments? Such a fight.
No longer on the grass
Or even watching stars at night.
Momentum over time adds up. Life’s punches landed hard.
We tried our best to block a few
But now are clearly scarred.
Youth felt like exploration back when days were led by heart.
It used to lead our movie,
Now recast in this bit part.
Turns out that we are not, in fact, as solid as a tree.
So much along the way is lost.
Time did not pass so gracefully.
The question sits impatiently, submerged beneath each day:
Is the wild-eyed kid inside you still?
Or lost and gone away?
