Childhood is not from birth to a certain age and at a certain age344Please respect copyright.PENANAjYYTJt4IEF
The child is grown, and puts away childish things.344Please respect copyright.PENANAB06F9tj1WQ
Childhood is the kingdom where nobody dies.
Nobody that matters, that is. Distant relatives of course344Please respect copyright.PENANAJfwbt3qNAN
Die, whom one never has seen or has seen for an hour,344Please respect copyright.PENANAqOPMAvcHO5
And they gave one candy in a pink-and-green stripéd bag, or a jack-knife,344Please respect copyright.PENANA6dGwb2ouF2
And went away, and cannot really be said to have lived at all.
And cats die. They lie on the floor and lash their tails,344Please respect copyright.PENANA4HeFmw5zUt
And their reticent fur is suddenly all in motion344Please respect copyright.PENANAfRRIMYyq9M
With fleas that one never knew were there,344Please respect copyright.PENANAjdp2zN4I4U
Polished and brown, knowing all there is to know,344Please respect copyright.PENANAWOZisXPTwL
Trekking off into the living world.344Please respect copyright.PENANAABby4P4lcW
You fetch a shoe-box, but it's much too small, because she won't curl up now:344Please respect copyright.PENANAh4ESG4XP4r
So you find a bigger box, and bury her in the yard, and weep.344Please respect copyright.PENANAhXIxlcW95v
But you do not wake up a month from then, two months344Please respect copyright.PENANAKHxOfbRLtP
A year from then, two years, in the middle of the night344Please respect copyright.PENANAyRAuXiqGPB
And weep, with your knuckles in your mouth, and say Oh, God! Oh, God!344Please respect copyright.PENANAn0UMmWzuRv
Childhood is the kingdom where nobody dies that matters,344Please respect copyright.PENANAX725LR6CDN
—mothers and fathers don't die.
And if you have said, "For heaven's sake, must you always be kissing a person?"344Please respect copyright.PENANAmTL9wbw320
Or, "I do wish to gracious you'd stop tapping on the window with your thimble!"344Please respect copyright.PENANAjmPZl6SfOb
Tomorrow, or even the day after tomorrow if you're busy having fun,344Please respect copyright.PENANAZriRNatBjF
Is plenty of time to say, "I'm sorry, mother."
To be grown up is to sit at the table with people who have died,344Please respect copyright.PENANAVL2Y0qlDAM
who neither listen nor speak;344Please respect copyright.PENANAYEauXYV4We
Who do not drink their tea, though they always said344Please respect copyright.PENANA4IzSRG5CvA
Tea was such a comfort.
Run down into the cellar and bring up the last jar of raspberries;344Please respect copyright.PENANA4SVGOAC8Gn
they are not tempted.344Please respect copyright.PENANAuS8LCqgPGb
Flatter them, ask them what was it they said exactly344Please respect copyright.PENANA79zGveyiPd
That time, to the bishop, or to the overseer, or to Mrs. Mason;344Please respect copyright.PENANAJD3lyo0nF0
They are not taken in.344Please respect copyright.PENANAcssEnPrpTE
Shout at them, get red in the face, rise,344Please respect copyright.PENANADRuHFPLn8Y
Drag them up out of their chairs by their stiff shoulders and shake344Please respect copyright.PENANAD1w0wbK11k
them and yell at them;344Please respect copyright.PENANAtd5oXEiUUX
They are not startled, they are not even embarrassed; they slide344Please respect copyright.PENANAyTRgH9OKi0
back into their chairs.
Your tea is cold now.344Please respect copyright.PENANA8RXEh9JTIu
You drink it standing up,344Please respect copyright.PENANA4h4jjaVtLW
And leave the house.