INNOCENCE LOST By Tom Jensen
I've sat at every bench in this park
Both before and after dark
Looking out at an ocean oh so deep
When everyone else is asleep
I see the sailboats stopped
Lookin' just like upside down lollipops
I see the seagulls pecking
Down by the beach
But it all seems out of reach
Take off my shirt to get a tan
Wondering about life's master plan
Just when my troubles start to fade away
I have to go to work soon so I cannot stay
But oh what a price I pay...
As soon as you're high
Something brings you down
As soon as you smile
Something makes you frown
As soon as you blink
The second has passed
As soon as you're first
You wind up last
This world can be such a tease
As soon as I feel
That my mind's at ease
Just when I think I have it made
Rain falls down on my parade
I've had my shares
Of ups and downs
Cried like mimes
And laughed like clowns
I've been dwarfed by guilt
And knocked off of my stilts
I've seen the flowers bloom
And I have watched the pedals wilt
Here at the park I collect my thoughts
Try to find a pair of scissors
When I'm tied up in knots
Then these words
Became my thoughts...
As soon as you're high
Something brings you down
As soon as you smile
Something makes you frown
As soon as you blink
The second has passed
As soon as you're close
You run out of gas
I watch the children
I've seen so many times before
And their innocent eyes
Not yet knowing what's in store
With every game comes a new surprise
Every truth told contains
At least a part of a lie
Under a parent's eye they run so free
Not a worry in the world
The way life should be
And yet as they grow a little older
The winds blow a little colder
But we all know it is calm
Before the storm
Mommy still has a blanket
To keep them warm
She protects them for as long as she can
There are some things children
Should never have to understand
Don't tell them the secret...
As soon as you're high
Something brings you down
As soon as you smile
Something makes you frown
As soon as you blink
The second has passed
As soon as the sun rises
The shadow's been cast
Yes I was once a child many years ago
And I learned the hard way
The things I didn't know
Life was once so simple
But like a gun shot to the temple
I was told I couldn't go any higher
And then was thrown into the fire
Now all I can do is dream
Back to the days
When my own eyes did gleam
Someday when everyone is asleep
That same child will come here to weep
And they too will write their song
About how the innocence
They once knew is gone
And they'll say...
As soon as I'm high
Something brings me down
As soon as I smile
Something makes me frown
As soon as I blinked
My childhood passed
What I loved so much...
I want it back