Fences

His heart was young, and he was free! He went where he desired!
He did whate’er he pleased, and was by all his friends admired!
He ran about without a thought, without a single care,
Exploring all life had to give, and taking what was there.

One day as he was running free, with nothing on his mind,
He ran headlong right off a cliff and left the ground behind!
He had no clue the cliff was there— it dropped away so fast—
And not a soul had built a fence along the way he’d passed.

For hours he lay in agony upon the ground below.
He knew no one would come, for how would anybody know?
He’d lived so independently, and none had dared to say,
“Please tell me where you’re going to go, and what you’ll do today.”

The awful pain his body felt was nothing when compared
With how his heart was aching, just from knowing no one cared.
It matters not what happened next— when all was said and done,
He’d traded life-long pain and loss for several hours of “fun.”

This tale, of course, is fanciful—and yet, it has some truth,
For many people bear the scars of what they did in youth.
If only they had known the things they clearly see today!
If only someone else who knew had helped them find their way!

Next time you feel resentful over rules and walls you face,
Remember, please, that when you’re old, the past you can’t erase.
Be glad somebody questions where you’ll go and what you’ll do—
It just means someone cares enough to build a fence for you!