Sinlessness is Innocence

They told me to write

a simple poem

about when I lost my innocence.

Now I have to ask them

what kind of world we live in

for there to be such a thing,

a thing that makes someone lose innocence.

Something in this world

that causes people to fall

from the childlike innocence

that used to encompass us all.

Or did it really,

ever reign

over a naughty child,

who would never behave?

Because now I have to ask you what innocence is,

what defines it,

what drives it,

and what’s within

your heart that makes you ask

when I lost my innocence.

Oh, I tell you it was long past!

Because we did not lose our innocence

when we reached adulthood,

or when we left the mother’s nest,

neither when the girls became women,

or when the boys became men.

No, we lost innocence

the very first time we sinned,

and knew it.

At that moment all innocence was lost,

and we could feel our bones crawl

with fear of what mommy had to say

when she found her fallen, broken vase.

Since that moment,

we knew sin.

And that took away

all sinlessness,

all innocence.

Sinlessness is innocence,

and therefore I know none of you have it.

So now I have to ask you

if you truly remember

when you lost your innocence,

or if you’re happy to move past it?

Because truthfully I tell you,

that for me it is a shame

that us wicked humans

love playing the game.

That game of sin,

the throwing of dice,

just wasting our lives

on foul malice.

Humans love their sin.

How awful that does sound.

But it is true,

for I know most of you do, too.

No matter how hard you’ve tried

you mess up,

you fall down.

It’s human nature

that just none of us have

that innocence depicted

before Eve and Adam.

The true, last question lies

silent, untouched.

Now let me ask you,

prepare for the punch.

Here I ask

if you really care

for all the bad stuff you do,

or if you love sin’s flare.

If you actually feel the guilt

that brews inside,

or if you just push it down,

all troubles aside.

Because this is important,

yes, it really is,

whether you love your sin,

or hate it deep within.

This is what causes us to fail,

the sin of the world

and its hard,

blinding veil

that covers the eyes

of so many of us,

not allowing us to see

past the evil of lust,

of lies, of anger, of deceit,

all things we’ve been victim to,

or perpetrators of, too.

All evil things that truly we do.

But brother, sister,

I have good news!

There is forgiveness

in this world, too!

All you must do is speak out,

take action.

Forgive one another, repent,

in spite of all infraction.

Knowing that not one human has innocence,

we are all sinners alike,

the only difference is our reactions

to the sinfulness that's alive,

if we love it, or hate it,

ditch it, or embrace it.

Innocence? No,

none have it, not one.

For all of you have known sin,

and all of you have done at least one

mistake that caused you to fall

from the innocence that

does torment us all.

Because innocence was lost

long ago,

on that first apple bite

that caused so much sorrow.

So all of our stories

should be the same,

everyone sharing

the same type of shame

of having had sinned,

of falling from innocence.