The Innocent That I Was Poem by Koffi B Sossou

Innocent baby with no enemies
Hanging out with everybody
Until I grew up and knew differences

I grew up and knew sex too
Happy I was with my innocence in sex
Until I opened my phone
And saw many people talking
About sex in different ways
And then, my partner and I became
Unhappy trying to imitate

My mother used to tell me, son, be honest, don't steal
Don't envy, there is enough sunshine for everyone,
Happy to learn these values from a virtuous woman,
The Innocent that I was, I thought all mothers raised their kids the same way
Until I grew up and knew the ills of our society, crime, theft, murder,
Envy, corruption, gluttony, and more
And the convicted were once kids and had mothers.
I am deeply sorry for the orphans and the homeless

I grew up believing that there is one God, Mawu, unsurpassable
That He is watching everyone, and we should fear Him
When I see the stars, the moon, the sun, the oceans,
How He made everything perfectly, I know He is great
Peaceful and just.
And then, people around me started sowing discord about how to serve Him.

I wish I were somewhere with no media and cell phone
A place where I could just be me,
Living without days, months, years
Just living, growing up, living with Mother Nature
Having oceans, lions, and trees for friends
And live in my innocence!
Oh, happy would be my soul!