Ruth Walters - Wistfully Watching

They explore the world
through windows,
church windows,
school windows,
two up, two down windows,
castle windows,
large windows,
small windows.

They see it all,
from blameless to guilty,
from noble to treacherous,
through windows.
From skyscraper windows,
to basement flat windows,
from paupers windows,
and palace windows

they watch, absorb, suck it in.

Later when they have grown
they will remember,
try to empathise,
rationalise
decipher the coded metaphors,
but some day
they will be demoralised
by the windows of life.

There they sit __ wistfully watching __
the children

of our times.

Ruth Walters

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/wistfully-watching/