Childhood

By Krishna Salim

When crying out loud becomes hard

When sleeping peacefully becomes a task

When my own dreams disturb me the most

Often, I thought about my childhood

When I am emotionally drained

When I had to smile through my tears

When my own disappeared into thin air

When the feeling of not being myself creeps in

Often, I thought about my childhood

When things got tough

When the days turned darker

When innocence was questioned

When trust became a luxury

Often, I thought about my childhood

I am neither a child nor an adult

Somewhere in the middle, my heart is stuck

Refusing to grow up and resisting change

Scared to face this world

Standing alone in this crowd

Now seems very familiar

All I have is the memory of my childhood

Wish I could grow up again with

The same innocence and desires

By Krishna Salim