When I was small

When I was small, I used to think that sadness
Was a silly, senseless feeling. To be
Sighing and crying, wasting tears, was madness.
Fears were brief and fate’s forgiveness easy.
I grew and learned that I could fall much harder
When reaching for the higher joys of life.
The pain could last for days, and gloom might linger,
But pride said I could always outlast strife.
Now that pride is just a word, and hope the boy
Who left my life in pieces on the ground.
I’ve forgotten how it feels to wake with joy;
Feelings are not so silly, I have found.
           Turns out sadness is a nightmare of the
           Type you cannot wake from, heart hell-bound

"The World Above" by Brooke Shaden