Mirage Poem by Ernest Hilbert

Once, when I was young, an odd thing occurred.
I found myself in trouble for some stunt,
Some selfish offense forgotten since then.
For a time, my mother's smile was deferred,
And I learned it was something I would want
To get back so I could feel fine again.
For a brief but blurred flash, from the top stair,
I thought she smiled at me. What a relief.
I smiled back, but she scowled. What went wrong?
I grew confused. I was struck, standing there.
What slipped in my reckless reach for reprieve?
I grasped a mirage, unreal as a song.
I was shocked by the sheer drop from assurance,
The vast span that parts us from our parents.