When I Was A Child I Believed Poem by Terence George Craddock (Spectral Images and Images Of Light)

When I was a child
a very young child
I looked at the world

of adults in discussion
their patterns of interaction
their comments reactions

a very strange world
differences between what adults said
and what child were told

their masks worn
and I thought about what
they did and why?

Questions were asked
about what you wanted
to be when you grew up?

The work question was important,
but never asked was how well you
would do this work, and for who?

They were often silent or suddenly angry
‘children were to be seen but not heard’
the news to be listened to in serious silence.

First talk repeat their sounds
to smiles laughter
then don’t talk be silent listen?

First stand walk walk how far
then don’t walk stay wait
where your told don’t go away?

When adults met sometimes they would
start to talk a lot fast all at once not one
at a time and laugh a lot talk walk funny?

Why not be on their best behaviour
nice to others as they told children to be?
Why not choose to be good not bad?

Years later I would smile a lot why not
it costs nothing to smile and often others.
Would catch your smile and smile also?

Even when sad smiling was a good thing to do
to appreciate all you have been given.
Even though you could not always play with

what was given or go outside or play with friends.
Especially on those boring rainy days.
So many games were not allowed if you got dirty?

As a teenager smilie would be a nick name.
That smile given freely to people who needed
to smile but chose to be miserable instead!

It never cost anything to be nice to people either!
To give to help had its own record, it felt good!
Happy people are the nice people to be around!

I believed happiness was the most precious gift,
a person could give another, and if sad then to give,
happiness you did not have; was even more important.

Once in my early twenties I was surprised,
a friend said you cannot be that good,
no one is that good, but I knew I was not good.

At twenty-two when about to travel overseas,
my uncle said you think everyone is your friend,
be careful, everyone you meet; is not your friend.

Now I am older and sadly wiser,
yet I still know that to treat a stranger,
as a friend not a treat is still better.

That to say hello with a smile,
and wish people well,
is still a wonderful thing to do.

I still believe it is a better thing to do.
And when kindness is meet with hostility?
I feel pity for the hurt who choose to hurt.

It is not the right way.
It is not God’s way.
It is still not my way.


Copyright © Terence George Craddock