innocent

there's a moment, it seems,
at least to me,
looking back
with hindsight, that there
was a time
of innocence.
of being pure and unaffected
yet by the world
taking you
by its crooked hand, it's
subtle whisper, calling
you to be less a boy
and more of a man.
it was before relationships,
before money,
before
all that lay ahead in your life
that would bring
pleasure and pain
in unequal doses.
it was just you.
innocent, a mere child,
kneeling in a church, praying,
your back against the hard pew,
wondering what tomorrow
would bring.