avatarVictoria Ponte

Summary

The web content is a reflective piece on the innocence of childhood and the enduring impact of music.

Abstract

The article reminisces about the simplicity of childhood, where children lined up to receive songs without fully understanding their significance. It highlights the naivety of youth, where the healing power of music is yet to be realized because the innocence of childhood has not yet been tainted by the need for healing. Each child is metaphorically given a song to carry through life, symbolizing the personal and intangible nature of music that becomes an integral part of one's identity.

Opinions

  • The author suggests that music's healing power is not immediately apparent to children, as they have not yet experienced the pain that requires healing.
  • The act of receiving songs is likened to a rite of passage, with each child unknowingly taking on a lifelong companion.
  • The songs, though invisible and intangible, are portrayed as being as significant as physical keepsakes like sticks and rocks.
  • The author implies that despite the songs being invisible, they are carried throughout life, emphasizing the profound and lasting influence of music.
  • There is a sense of nostalgia for the time when music was a simple joy, not yet burdened by the complexities of adult life.
Robert Collins for Unsplash

We Were Given Songs To Sing

Poetry

When we were small, We lined up and waited our turns Like good little children Without understanding What we were to get But we behaved and stood patiently

We didn’t yet understand the magic of music And its power to heal Because we never needed healing

Until we got to the front of the line When we each were given a song to sing We put them in our pockets with sticks and rocks Our mothers emptied our pockets To wash our clothes Our songs were invisible

Yet we carried them for life

© Victoria Ponte 2021

Poetry
Children
Music
Poetry On Medium
Illumination
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