i remember cherry coke kisses

and santa clauses that had no beards

i remember standing alone in

the dark waiting impatiently for

the shoe to drop as cars drove by

completely unaware of the madness and

chaos that brewed within

it was a time when innocence

seemed as valuable as it was

vulnerable and belief was as easy

as breathing caught between sentences

used only to fill silence we deluded

ourselves payment for such sins come

due now and again we are vulnerable

scared and regretful what else

could we have done

how else could this have

been?

saddled with too much yesterday

i set a place pass

the very best part to you

and forget.