Of Myths and Fables

Because parents think truth will spoil childhood

They conspire in kindly untruth

We get Christmas presents from Santa

And siblings delivered by the stork

Some cling to these puzzling stories

preserving them long beyond youth

But for most the comfort of fables

is destroyed by the passage of years

At some point in our lives, if we're lucky

comes humility balancing fear

and we learn to learn from our children

So that each generation makes progress

on a journey through daylight and darkness

Toward a truth more amazing than myth

And a past even older than God.

– Marie Struthers

(you go, Mom!)