Stolen Childhood Poem by Charlie Chaffin

S o help me find the metaphor of childhood
With which I can help you understand
What was stolen.

T ake a snowflake, matchless in all the world,
Drifting from the sky.
Unique.

O rdinary flowers, full of color and warm spring weather,
Delicate harbingers of life and hope.
Nurturing.

L ook no further than a mother bear with her cubs
To find what protection means.
Safety.

E very life bursts forth with possibility,
Like a flock of birds rising as one.
Exploring.

N ew eyes that see the world in new ways,
Unbound by yesterday.
Creativity.

There is no gift more precious than childhood,
Distant metaphors to feel its loss.
Anguish.