Of Humans and Kings

No regrets.

Tuck in the covers.
Turn on the night lights.
Close the closet door.
Say all the good nights.

Wake up to the sunshine.
Eyes open, wide and bright.
Whip back the covers.
Say hello to sunlight.

Of all the adventures to be had,
You pick the one most exciting.
Perhaps you're a traveler in a faraway land,
Or a pilot, up in the clouds, flying.

Morning passes, lunchtime comes,
And the worst part is nap time.
Go to sleep, sweet dreams.
Wake up to the ice cream truck's chime.

Chocolate or vanilla?
The hardest decision.
Or maybe a popsicle.
Eaten with most careful precision.

It's all the joys of summer,
In one's young mind.
There's no such thing as work, responsibility.
No, there's nothing of that kind.

The sun will go down.
It's time for bed.
You're not tired, of course, no no.
It's finally that time that you dread.

Tonight, there's no night light.
What if the monsters come out?
No fear, you're a big kid now.
You can scare them all off with a scream or a shout.

It's that annoying alarm clock,
Waking you up at beastly hours of morning.
Time to go to school, stupid, stupid school.
It's a nightmare place, for which there is no warning.

The bullies come to pick on you.
That's why lunch is bad.
Friends are few and far between.
It's the worst day you've ever had.

Counting the days 'till summer.
It's your paradise, safe-haven.
But you have to make it through this situation.
The months between now and then loom like a dark raven.

What is the point to continue?
The golden days are gone.
It's time to grow up, forget your childhood.
You're but a game piece of life, a pawn.

That may be what they tell you.
The old days are over, get a job, get up.
But you try to hold on to the memories.
You try to remember the ice cream, in a cone or a cup?

In your old age,
With children and grand-children of your own, you tell them stories.
Your childhood, your schooldays, even when you felt alone.

Live life without regrets.
Visit those lands faraway.
Enjoy every last bite of ice cream.
Say what you have to say.

Even when it seems dark and bleak,
There is always hope.
There's always the future, family, and friends.
Always a way to cope.

Someday, you'll breathe your final breath.
Hopefully, that's far from now.
Remember, no regrets.
You're a great person, make everyone wonder "how?"