In the Beginning.....

In the beginning......., before the children went off to school, They played companions to their parents, going everywhere with them, Sharing their thoughts and feelings, They were young innocent spirits, Then, they matriculated among their peers, and the children who used to be so dear turn into shells of their former selves, Loud and boisterous, or, withdrawn and secretive, timid to emote about the lives they live, The general population can rob the young ones of their youth, teaching them words that are uncouth, exposing them to all sorts of drugs, Nothing keeps them calm or soothed, Somehow, they always are in a lousy mood, The medicinal value of parents' hugs get watered down, because they would rather "hang" in the company that makes them act like clowns.......