would that innocence would stay –
a flickering fireside where an old cat sits
pine logs hiss and children play
word games help to sharpen wits
their laughter bubbles up in fits
when paw bats moth such comedy
close by flames the creature flits
burnt wings change to tragedy
compassion wells the watery eye
one small death and salt tears smart
the spell is broken by their cry
outrage from each woken heart –
“halt your grief and do not moan
soon your heart will turn to stone”
Keeping it simple and using the last word from each line of Spenser’s sonnet for poetry challenge from the dversepoets poets bar: Bouts-Rimés Revisted
PoetryPix 
Oh yes, we yearn for that innocence lost indeed….but despite tragedy we must keep our compassion.
must try not to harden
” … outrage from each woken heart … ” Sorry it is necessary. We don’t live in utopia.
That is the shock of innocence lost
Indeed.
Oh I love the thought of compassion.. Even for the merest moth… Love the rhythm here, I felt a little bit anpestic dr Seussian poem.
Could be dr Seuss does Spencer 😉
Tis sad how we harden a little as we age. Innocence lost indeed.
Anna :o]
The spell is broken 😦
I can feel compassion for the smallest of creatures myself so can relate. Innocence may be lost along life’s way but let’s hope that compassion never does. Thank you for a wonderful poem for our prompt today.
Gayle ~
Thank you though the prompt was harder than I’d thought x
Such a soulful response to the bouts-rimes 🙂
Beautifully executed.
Lots of love,
Sanaa
thank you Sanaa – as always so generous with your comments and time
I hope our hearts will never turn to stone ~ I love the title and whole poem Laura ~
many thanks Grace – rather too simplistic perhaps but such is the spell of innocence
That opening is perfect….I see my nieces and hope for them to remain innocent for as long as possible….and hoping they do not harden. Wonderful poem!
and if not, hope the sting of life does not hurt too much or often