Innocence and Truth

In the echoes of laughter, a younger me stood,

Amid steam and showers, where innocence once would.

We shared our days, our secrets in the air,

But there was a moment, one moment so rare.

Water cascaded, warmth in its embrace,

But I felt a stirring, a flush on my face.

My heart raced ahead, my mind in a blur,

A secret awakening, too young to infer.

I fled from the water, a storm in my chest,

Dressing in haste, I needed to rest.

Fear and confusion wrapped tight in my core,

What was this feeling I couldn’t ignore?

Days turned to weeks, and months into years,

I harbored this truth, amid shadows and fears.

But in time I would learn, in the quiet of night,

That love in my heart was pure, and it was right.

For I wasn’t like others, this I came to see,

The love that I felt was a part of me.

I cherished the truth, no longer afraid,

For the love of a girl, in my heart, had stayed.

Now, looking back, with wisdom and grace,

I see the young girl, and the path she’d embrace.

A journey of love, of finding my way,

From those tender school days to who I am today.

© Susie Stiles-Wolf