Childhood (Poem Analysis)

 Childhood -  Markus Natten

When did my childhood go?

Was it the day I ceased to be eleven.
Was it the time I realised that Hell and Heaven,
Could not be found in Geography,
And therefore could not be,
Was that the day!
When did my childhood go?
Was it the time I realised that adults were not
All they seemed to be,
They talked of love and preached of love,
But did not act so lovingly,
Was that the day!
When did my childhood go?
Was it when I found my mind was really mine,
To use whichever way I choose,
Producing thoughts that were not those of other people
But my own and mine alone
Was that the day!
Where did my childhood go?
It went to some forgotten place,
That is hidden in an infant’s face,
That’s all I know.

This poem encapsulates the reality- that is the unveiling of the shade the childhood inundates oneself into.

This reality is felt at the onset of mental maturity, as early as the age of 11, when innocence starts to erode.

Childhood days are, for most of us; nothing less than utopia (at least when we compare them with the current situation!). You may be aware of your rights as a citizen of this country but do you know that during childhood, children have the fundamental right to enjoy? 

Yes. This role in the "second stage" played by any human in the drama of life is a period for trying new things, failing and rising up with a smile without knowing that you have failed; and experiencing bliss under the protective fear of parents or guardian.

Adults who have made a mess out of their lives will tell you that childhood is a golden age in one's life. 

What they need to know is that, there's a "second childhood" waiting for them near the end of their lives. 

Here, in his poem, Marcus Natten explores when he lost his childhood. 

This poem however does not tell us the good experiences in childhood nor it is about childhood. 

So the name appears to be a misnomer.

In short, it is a poem packed with remorse and refrain.