The Space Between

there    was     a   time
 when      i   was  young
 when  right   and  wrong
 were  black   and  white
  and    all   the  world
  was    cut   and    dry.

girls     on   the   left
 boys     on   the  right
  and     everyone   knew
where         they  stood
  and  there   was     no
       middle
   in  the   road.
  and  all      my   toys
  lay                  scattered
   on  the  floor.

  the  yellow   brick      road
  was    just   another      place
    i   hadnt   been to          yet
  but   would   go to            eventually.
  and i knew i  would find it
because    my   father told me so.
   and i knew   that   when i found it
i would  know
because nobody  told me
     i   wouldnt.
                and if
          there  was  ever
     a ceiling i couldnt touch
or  a  question  i couldnt  answer
it was only because i wasn't a grown-up.

                Yet.

and nothing was ever unreachable
and nothing was ever unknowable
and nothing was ever impossible
as long as i was a kid

-- Matthew Jacobs

Originally published December 1996