The Land of Youth
For Imad
We were all once so used
To imagining another world within us
When we were merely children,
We were, once, the heroes of our stories,
In pursuit of the goal, the money, or the gold,
A child’s imagination, powered by innocence,
Would be stronger than God’s own hand.
And normally, as we slowly come of age,
We come to lose that magical power,
As if the price of adulthood
Was to be locked out of that playground of wonder.
But through you, maybe with you unaware,
You’ve found the key to open those gates
And let out the rainbow coloured light
Basking us in innocence and youthful delight
For ours is a blossoming true love;
To be under your spell, rescued safely
From the land of Sorrows
And safe in your eyes
In the Land of Youth.
San Antonio, Texas
20 September 2022
Translated from the original Irish version, "Tír na nÓg"