"The Children"

"The Children"

The children
Laugh, play
And dream all day,
Making their own toys
Out of odds and ends,
Writing rules for imaginary games
They create inside of their heads:
In the middle of the night
By a glow of the flashlight
Instead of sleeping
In their own beds.

But each day they'll grow and learn
While the wick continues to burn
Down on our candle lives, getting shorter,
A wellspring that'll soon run out of water.

So it's up to these children,
Our sons and daughters,
To look up to the stars
And into the future:
Roaming from galaxy to galaxy
Of endless stars in a cosmic sea,
Always in search of a better tomorrow
Unburdened by death, destruction, and sorrow.