Of Children

Beauty screams at me from this photo!  At first glance it looks like it was taken long ago, like that could in fact be me in my child years, but in reality it was only 2007 and those are my cousins babies.  Everything seems a little dirty, a little dreary.  The spikey bars are cold and sharp and easily prick your fingers if you are not paying attention.  The smell you don't see here, but it is disctict, not a bad smell but a unique one non-the-less.  It doesn't smell like food or detergents or anything familiar to the world I normal frequent.  It is a smell I cannot describe or place except that it smells like Argentina, where this photo was taken.  The children too look a little dirty, their clothes outdated.  Small with big, bright eyes, living in a seemingly easy life, full of laughter and minor frustrations.  That's my toy...stop pushing me...I want that!!!  Who could imagine the hurt, confusion and pain?  It's the same intensity as a child, as it is for us now as adults, just a different level, different maturity, different ways of handling it all, expressing it all.  Yet they are pure at heart.  Still exploring, daring, and eager to run free beyond those bars that confine them to their small allotted play space...