Nephews.

Romping of little feet,

little gasp and screech when I come through the door;

my name never sounds as sweet as from your mouths.

Trains strewn on the carpet,

we whisper stories together of magic toyboxes

until you’re ready for another game.

Sideways glances when I ask you a question–

I laugh because you know so many things before you’re told.

You know more than I wish you knew sometimes.

You see things in ways we cannot see.

It is precious; but other times, it unnerves me.

I wish you to be selectively blind,

to have ears that stop up when pain comes to them,

for bright colors to replace dark spaces,

for shadows to blur to light.

I wish you to be free of these fights that are part of being human .