Rob Ostrom | OL02 | Fall 2021

Memory Keeper of Youth

Blissful ignorance, blind to the world and what horrors await

Encased in a cocoon, shielded from the thorns and venomous vipers

A permanent smile stitched onto one’s face, accessorized by laughter

All roads paved in gold, hiding the dark murky sludge that lays beneath

Each day a new adventure, time your master, not yet introduced

“Red rover, red rover, send an innocent babe on over!”

Giggles float and pop like bubbles, each one with a rainbow sheen

Immune to the laws of life, no fear of jury duty or an officer’s handcuffs

Value, not yet determined by others that sit above, scarred by life

A video game set on easy mode, the dragon vanquished by a toothless smile

Mom and Dad, two white doves madly in love, doting over their babe

Mom and Dad, two haggard vultures, paint themselves white every day

You play hopscotch down the golden paved road, making friends as you go

Foot lands on a broken brick, you fall, smash your head, and wake up an adult.

1 Comment

  1. Rob Ostrom

    Amazing work, Jaegger. That ending: open heart, insert bayonet.

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