When Children and Adults Were Not At War

There once was a point in time and space, When children and adults were not at war, When children were free to explore, When adults were far enough away to ignore, But close enough to adore. I was a child in that time and in that space, I grew up in that time and space, I became a parent in that time and space, I pray for another blip on the radar in time and space. At eleven my mates and I built a log cabin, In that time and space, Without Mum and Dad in our face. As a single man in that time and space, I was part of an acting group, That let 80 children aged 4 to 16, Run their own acting group, Without adults in their face, We had to get permission to enter their space, Their plays getting write-ups, Their plays, audience faces lighting up. As a parent in that time and space, My wife and I let our children walk to school, Without us in that space, Even though we could feel that time and space, Were no longer in alignment, Children were now seldom seen building log cabins, And places they used to explore were being fenced off, Adults who had not been in the same time and space, As me and a few other lucky ones, Were using health and safety as an excuse, For invading children's space And wasting their time away. Now as a grandparent, I can only hope, The time and space we gave our children, Will keep open the possibility of, Another point in time and space, When adults and children are not at war.