Like a Child

She had never truly been a child, Not like her brother with his chubby, freckled cheeks and innocent light eyes To see life like a child is to see the world from behind a colorful veil To see life like a child is to gasp at the pleasant surprises life holds for you But how can one see life in such a way when their entire existence is dangerous? When bike riding in hot weather is accompanied with a soundtrack of wolf-whistles and shouts When clothes are too short, too tight for prying eyes A child is someone who has the privilege of innocence A child is someone that is protected by those older But no one was there when there was an attempted kidnapping at the mall last week No one was there when lawmakers imposed themselves on a choice they will never have to make To be a child is a privilege A privilege that girls in this world do not receive.