He used to make shirley temples

Bubbly, smooth

With the cherry on top

The refreshing sound meant

Normalcy and

Laughter

a late night outside chasing

Those ever resistant lightning bugs 

would follow

The mornings

Early mornings

Were filled with singing

“Good moring, good morning”

Infiltrated through my ears

Opening the eyes was difficult

It’s hard to wake early

When you have been a creature of the night

My childhood was easy

As smooth as the sugary syrup

That cascaded down my throat

It’s hard to decide

Where the switch occurred

Where the laughter became forced

And the drink became stronger

Being young

The only worries were superficial

Who would turn the tv channel

Or where was my blush?

Slowly they morphed 

More complex

More dynamic

More intertwined

Until they became deep worries of the night

Nightmares

Bend the knee

Admit defeat

Make the Shirley Temple a bit stronger.