Things I did understand ~
questions unanswered
asking why of no use because
the answer was ‘because’
But when those ideas floated away
I understood crayons,
cartoon shapes to colour,
dresses to cut out with the little tabs
Then I could
design ball gowns
for paper dolls
colour inside the lines
just right for this little girl
bright crayons within my reach
What I understood was that
I didn’t need to know any more
than what the next picture needed,
which doll I should cut out.
But I filled expectations,
like setting the table for a meal,
practicing piano or
getting cleaned up for church,
going to school.
I did understand that I was ‘growing up’
but didn’t know that meant
more than how tall I was.
Today in retirement I am still ‘growing up.’
“If you carry your childhood with you, you never become older.”
~ Tom Stoppard
(English dramatist)
