Lost Childhood.

English literature in school hasn’t always been very interesting as such but today I happened to come across a beautiful poem by Markus Natten. Not that I have a love for poetry, but this poem made me think a lot. A lot more than what a normal poem in my english textbook would.

Childhood
When did my childhood go?
Was it the day I ceased to be eleven,
Was it the time I realised that Hell and Heaven,
Could not be found in Geography,
And therefore could not be,
Was that the day!

When did my childhood go?
Was it the time I realised that adults were not
all they seemed to be,
They talked of love and preached of love,
But did not act so lovingly,
Was that the day!

When did my childhood go?
Was it when I found my mind was really mine,
To use whichever way I choose,
Producing thoughts that were not those of other people,
But my own, and my alone,
Was that the day!

Where did my childhood go?
It went to some forgotten place,
That’s hidden in an infant’s face,
That’s all I know.

-Markus Natten

It left me wondering, when did I lose my childhood.
Maybe the day when certain things had become too obvious to be concealed, maybe when I was left unguided to take major decisions, maybe the day a group of my friends and I went rummaging to find meanings of “certain” words or maybe the day I turned out to be capable of handling stuff not meant for my age (Not that I did a great job).

 

 

Our teacher concluded the poem saying, that the day you no longer were innocent was the day you lost your childhood. So very true. What was childhood without innocence? What corruption does to a kid is nothing less than snatching away its childhood.
And once the childhood is snatched, the kid is always left longing for petty little things that are to immature for grown ups to understand and fulfill. No one, including this lil kiddo (who is all grown up now) fails to understand certain urges to act juvenile. Absurd, immature, silly little things end up in big issues and no one realizes the reason behind such childish, stupid actions or reactions.

Childhood. *sigh*