we find a world where
we can not touch the stove
nor get too near the head of the stairs.
We learn that it is dangerous outside,
so wait for mommy.
We find out the hard way
not to put our fingers in the gap by the hinge
while the door is being closed.
We discover a life of too cold and too hot
of cats that lash out
and dogs that, even though they might not want to hurt us,
knock us down anyway.
We miss the part where a nervous woman says to an unsuspecting man
“Honey, I think I have some good news”.
Fervent hopes and whispered fears.
We don’t see the man, now nervous himself,
speeding to the hospital, hoping they make it on time.
The first smile, the first reach, the first words,
We miss them all.
By the time we become aware
our parents have forgotten these exciting early times too.
They are no longer awe-stricken when we stare at a light or take a step.
Those tender days are gone.
We see only the aftermath, the messy part.
In fact,
we are the messy part.