Under my pillow

Ignorant of my universe expanding
I lived on the brink of reason
It was me in my childhood season
A phony hero versus masked foes
In the pond of never-land, I bathed
Hoped for faith, persistence, and future
While there, in the vastness up there

The stars swirled, twirled, whirled

Bright-netted leaves from a cosmic Fall

Under the pillow, my fears, the empty hours

And no one to call

Yet, the hours passed, days passed, months passed

Years came, and I renewed my quest for wonder

Forbidden books taught me little

Confounded my whys
Conflicting lessons puzzled my creed
Turned pages as a consolation
Banned illustrations aroused my seed
And I lit candles for the Earth
Sparks in solitude kindled my berth
From those books, I learned; from others —
People, I mean
They never taught me how to nurse pain
How to ignore disdain
I wanted to heal a dying sparrow
I did not know how
I could feel her broken wings
Fluttering under my pillow
No teacher answered, and no preacher
My questions were out of the question
I dreaded nights, hid from awful knights
Under my pillow
And so, rushing headlong, maturity
Threatened my purity
Aye! Adulthood is but blues
A jigsaw to complete, and no clues
Brought forth my soul into cities
Beckoned me to apply for vacancies
Hitting roads in unison, I lost my reason

And with my head still under my pillow

I care, I dare, I swear
Not to fall below the average flow
While there, in the vastness up there

The stars swirl, twirl, whirl

Bright-netted leaves from a cosmic Fall.

 

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