Children with kind hearts may hide in their beds,
cling to their blankets, pull them over their heads
to ignore the outside, or to hide from their fears,
or they may close their eyes and cover their ears.
For Innocence does not fear what it cannot see,
so whatever may hurt it, can simply not be.
Yet the dangers in this world exist nonetheless
and when they’ll appear is anyone’s guess.
And regardless of how it may try to hide,
the danger may find it, at its own home, inside.
Then once danger strikes and the damage is done,
the child is changed, the innocence gone.
But the child is not the only one changed,
for its family and friends are affected the same
The child will first lash out in defense,
then try to regain some of its innocence,
And while it may return after time,
only to be diminished by some later crime.
The child endures this and ever moves on.
What does not destroy it will make him or her strong.
But it is ever so sad, and will never make sense,
that we must watch that child lose their innocence.
-E. J. Hodgins September 11, 2001

I feel that many people have misunderstood the meaning of this poem, which to me is two-fold. Events of September 11th made me realize how naive we as a country are, therefore it was my intention to compare America to a small child. I hope that in the future we will not be so naive.