Knowing And Not Knowing In My Youth Poem by Connie Webb

Some horrible things I am glad I didn’t know
When I was real young.

I didn’t know wars were being fought
Or that little children were starving.
I didn’t know that people shot one another.
I didn’t know a wife was beat by a husband.
I didn’t know that someone could hate you
Because of your religion or the color of your skin.

Some horrible things I am glad I didn’t know
When I was real young.

I didn’t know that people made fun of you if you were
Too thin or too fat.
I didn’t know some people lived on the street and had no homes.
I didn’t know some people couldn’t walk at night because of violence.
And some people couldn’t walk alone during the day either because of that.

Some horrible things I am glad I didn’t know
When I was real young.

And maybe that is why -
I could laugh and giggle and smile.
I could see the beauty in a caterpillar on a leaf.
I could enjoy the warmth of the sand and the water of the ocean
While I made yet another sand castle.
I could play hopscotch and Tiddly winks,
Pic up sticks and jacks;
I could play Red Light Green Light
And Hide and Go Seek;
I could dance and sing without a worry in the world
And go to sleep and dream about my happy days.

Some precious things
I am glad I did know
When I was real young.