Where Has He Gone? Poem by Betty Jo Hilger

The serious child, alert, intent,
who watched the world youthful eyes…
Innocent yet wise as stone,
the kernel of his love so strong…

Who held my hand to guide my way
through forests dark, beneath the shade...
Naïve yet shrewd, he gathered facts
not seeing what his parents lacked…

So bright, so sharp, intelligent,
he met the day contained, content…
An island in the storm of life,
focused, playing on his fife…

Soft melodies of peaceful calm
which oft brought silence to the storm…
Conveying dreams with hopeful breath,
comfortable and self-possessed…

Who instantly has grown to heights
challenging the blackest nights…
With words of odium, disgust,
reviling all who say he must…

Follow systems and conventions,
living with the best intentions…
Who now contests serenity,
decrying shameful sanity…

As counterfeit and fraudulent,
the product of a life misspent…
Accusing me of false devotion,
eschewing all but hard emotion…

He’s biding time.