heart of a child

like a child
with a roughly
hewn red paper heart
that I will make into
a beautful card
with my fat crayons
and awkard printing
i will make it
with small safety scissors
that won't harm me
like your rejection
of my most sincere
effort to find
your love for me
in this small
roughly hewn
red construction paper
heart
with two words
and one comma
drawn awkwardly
by my unskilled
chubby child hands
the same hands
that will extend
to hold out my
roughly hewn heart
to you
hoping that you will
like it
and
love me

when i was a child,
i thought as a child
and i spoke as a child
but as i grew older,
i put away childish things
...like roughly hewn
red construction paper
hearts
with awkward letters
crayoned on the surface
and underpinned with
my hope
and need
for a love that would cherish
that paper heart
and my battered,
and barely beating
human heart.