The Rising of Everything

my six year old
asks her mother
mom, when you get a kiss on the lips
does it go straight down to your heart
and suddenly
i am all too aware
of the cynism,sarcasm and contempt
that far too often
muddies the lens
thru which i view this world
in her sing song voice
she asks for ice cream after dinner
in the background
NPR speaks of carbombs in market squares
the rising of everything
tempers and temperatures
food and fuel
she knows of none of these things really
but the harsh realities of this world
are beginning to reveal themselves to her
it is difficult to witness
but inevitable
if not necessary
like the first scuff on a new white shoe
it is a daily lesson to be learned
to feel with innocence
to believe that yes
a kiss on the lips
truly does go
straight down to the heart

NH