The Giant's Knee

A young child, two feet tall,

Sits on his foot and hugs his knee,

Riding the giant full of glee

 

He grows a bit and goes to school,

Meets a new and strange girl who

Asks him if he believes in god.

 

What is this strange idea, he wonders.

He says no, and she answers,

You're going to go to Hell when you die.

 

He reads books and learns about magic,

So he sits at night casting spells in his room.

The universe, he decides, is beautiful.

 

Years go by and he goes to high school

Where groups of strangers surround him

and attack him, hating him because he's happy.

 

His world becomes fear and sadness.

And then he learns to fight,

And it becomes rage.

 

He forgets beauty. All he sees

Is rage and enemies.

All he feels is constant anger.

 

He's sad inside, and he can't remember why.

He remembers, for a moment, a ride on a giant's foot.

But it's another world.

 

He can't remember his magic.

He can't remember joy.

He can't remember even how to cry.

Is he you?

 

Years go by, he knows he's broken

He tries to remember hugging the giant's knee.

He tries to remember.

 

(c)2024 Guglielmo Earthbound

Done