Although I’ve forgotten the feeling of curiosity,

I see it in the eyes of the little girl

Sitting on the sidelines and gazing over the field,

Taking in more than anyone would ever expect.

Although I may be lacking in courage,

It is not gone from the steps of the child who

Leans just a bit farther over the railing at the zoo

Than any of their friends might dare to go.

Although my ear for music went flat years ago,

It’s apparent in the young boy who signs much louder than the rest,

The little girl who can pick out birds by their call,

The blind child that finds their way by sound not sight.

Although I may have lost my youth many years ago,

I still feel a small spark of joy, of color in this cold grown heart of mine

When I’m almost tripped by a gaggle of gigglers playing in the park,

And as I see our new generation laughing around the table.

Although I may have grown up years ago,

Always being told that I was “an old soul,” or “more mature than my age,”

Always lapping up the compliments from adults who wished their kids were “more like you,”

I would now give almost anything to have a small sense of that young life back.

Although everyone else laughs at the gift of wired headphones on Christmas,

I take them with a grin and plop them over my ears, hitting that small play button,

And I feel young again, with colors splashing through my thoughts

And noise canceling out every bland work call, or boring adult conversations.

Although I may have grown up faster than anyone ever wants to,

I’ve learned to let loose a little in life, to find something other than the weather to talk about.

So when you see a kid on the street with their head stuck in a book, or headphones in their ears,

Don’t scold them.

Ask what they’re listening to, or take a peek at the cover.

Let their imaginations spark your own.

Dust off an old book, one with the covers falling off and food and drink stains through the pages,

Sit back,

And let life flow through you once more.