When did we grow wise?

In between the hopscotch
The games of ‘tag’ and ‘pat-a-cake’
We all grew up, carefully listened
And learned from our mistakes

Oh when did we get so wise, my friend?
In between the skipping and the lunchboxes
We learned Maths and English and then –
Learned how to pay bills and taxes.

Oh when did we grow up, my friend?
When yesterday I was climbing trees,
Scraping knees,
And wondering why the sky was blue.
Weren’t you?

A breath ago I was blissful, naive
No knowledge of the world I didn’t need
I didn’t know that all life took
Was the will to just succeed

When was the moment, my friend?
That turning point when we grew up.
We find ourselves adults – thrust
Into a world where there’s little reason.

When did we grow to be so wise?
Between the picnics and the balmy summers
It snuck upon us in the merest blink
It took a second,
And the seconds are still passing us by.