School Girl

Still that hope

The restlessness in your eyes

Your beautiful eyes, still naive

Lacking 'the look',

Containing the curiosity,

the wildness, the impatience

of your kind

Your eyes still aren't blemished

with caution

You still can relish everything

Stay like that, little girl

I'm here

to bear your burdens

for as long as I can

I'll carry as much of your load

as my arms permit me to carry

The innocent gleam in your eyes

seems like a panacea 

to my troubled, burdened shoulders

The dancing hope in your eyes

tells me I can still manage

to hide it from you, little one

Stay like that, my dear

Stay hungry, stay foolish

Wisdom has its own weight,
O little one

Bathe in your colours

get lost in that kiddy make-up

But remember to cotton it off

Your cheeks are still pink

like cotton candy

Flushing with joys of novelty

The wind still tickles you,

and entangles your hair

as you jump in that colourful frock

O little one

Make me do your plaits

and make me do your hair

But flash me that smile

flash me those beautiful eyes

and remind me how it was,

Before I started needing make-up