Innocence - a lesson learned from cohousing

Innocence

Wide blue eyes focus
on hot oven door.
Curious, you stretch
tiny hand toward warmth.
Your Mama stops you fast.
Not safe. Not for you.
Walk away. You hear her fear.
Obey. One year old, you know
not all exploration is safe.
You can be hurt. You practice
trust, check adult eyes for
confirmation before you
dash down a hill, laughing.
Innocence is necessarily brief.