A Child Unveiled

Concealed behind a charcoaled beard,
he smiles with inner joy;
thinks himself a wise man -
but I recognize the boy.

He speaks for hours of wondrous things;
delights me with his mind -
yet though this shield of intellect;
his innocence I find.

I gaze at him with steady eye,
and dare him to unveil
the simpler things within his heart
that struggle to prevail.

With hesitant yet buoyant flair,
the child dispels his mask;
then laughs at me in candid awe -
for all I did was ask.

Written January 10, 2001