Dear Child

Dear Child! Fly away

To a world of Fancy.

Dear Child! Dream away

And make the Fancy real.

Dear Child! Do not just scream

And do not just wail.

Dear Child! Open heart and mind,

To Love. Do not fail.

Dear Child! Let the Innocence be

And not be a Man –

‘Tis not yet time.

Dear Child! Grow beautiful

And grow strong.

Let breaking toys and knees scraped,

Be your greatest wrong.

Dear Child! Keep the Trust

And keep the Faith.

Earn the Trust precious

‘Tis not too late.

Dear Child! There’s war

And there’s carnage.

There’s Beauty and her Love,

In unnamed Bondage.

The war is yours to fight,

My Child dear!

But keep the soft, baby soft,

Naiveté and the Hope shining.

Be a Child now,

And a better Man perhaps,

Shall you be.

Dear Child! Think not

To a Utopia build.

But to live in this world

And with your Fancy gild.

And then let the Imp

Its magic work,

Till the Fantasy beautiful

Is oh-so-real.

Dear Child! Think not

Of these lines as a sermon.

Nor as the meanderings of a mind,

Not quite sane.

Dear Child! Think of these words

As a Plea and a Hope,

Of eyes growing weary and

Growing older still.

Dear Child! Say an Amen true,

And let your Fancy soar.