Thoughts At A Zoo Poem by Zoe Guillory

Tiny, brown, innocent eyes
that have only seen the world for a year
peer over the cheep, run-down wood
as gentle, yet clumsy fingers
perch on layers of dirt.
A child never cares much
for the unseen: germs, problems
beyond their own limited knowledge.
They only care for wondrous
things, new things to them,
yet so old and dull to us:
a spotted leaf, a ray of sunlight.
When is it that we lose
the eyes of a child?
The trust of innocence?
At what age to we lose
the need to see a caged animal
or ride a reckety red train?
What has to happen before
our eyes for us to lose
that childhood ignorance
that makes the world so simple?
When do we lose this curiosity
that makes the world so bright?