Stale Stepping Stones

The walkway crumbles in cracks

The driveway plastered time again

The stream sings a song of sorrow

The river roars at the loss

The tiptoe stepping across each

Brings a note of music

Recalls a walk with euphoria

Before spiraling into nebulous

Nots and knots

Staying clueless and ignorant

Staying that happy child

Skipping across the waters

Dancing across the front yard

Tripping and laughing

Smile upon smile on the floor

Giggling up fits over nonsense

Oh how ideal that distant memory sounds

But reality you must make it seem

Kept and never lost between the ropes and stones

Stumbling and tripping upon rocky decay

The staleness gathering moss and mold

Musty messes caress the innocence

Of the stepping stones

Walking upon a crack

Fearing you’ll break your mother’s back

Watching the cement and gravel

Deface your neighborhood street

Listen to the songs and gurgling of waters

Happily flowing before the destructive maelstrom

Stomach knotted from all the nots and cannots

Placed and piled before us as we age and mature

Past the simple bedtime and vegetables

Tapping upon the hourglass, turning the tables

Ignorant bliss up in scorching flames

And drowned in hailing torment

Before noticing the older beauty still existent

Beneath the crusty face of stale stepping stones

By taking out some patience, time, and a moment

Building up each day, holding us up, our life’s bones