Waiting for the (shuttle) bus

outside the huge IKEA store, waiting for the shuttle back home~
___________________________
Before we went to IKEA, my dad and I went to visit another aunt (mum's sis). She and her husband's are looking good for their age (late 60s), healthy and strong.. save for the occasional aches and pains.

Their two grandchildren, 1st cousins of one another, were there too.. the boy coming to 5yrs in August, and the girl just 3yrs old.

They made me smile,
forget my worries for awhile
So full of life were they,
so full of hope.
As in sincerity, in trust
they spoke.
"Can you bring me to the zoo?"
a cheery, "Come back again!"
They didn't know what I knew then
that at that moment, in that span
my heart melted as they said that..

and then again,

when they sang tuneless nursery rhymes
(a competition of sorts, I thought)
even if they'd skipped a word or two, it wasn't a crime
(I bet they'll snigger too, even if they were caught!)
And my, oh my, what amazes me
was how they spoke to toy animals so flawlessly
as if second nature, they had created their world
where they understood everything O so comprehensively~

How could I forget how they included me in?

With their bowls of snacks & little 'spoon-in's,
the littler one followed the older one with glee
as they carefully fed yellow Honeystars to me
one at a time, sparingly, for this aunt of theirs,
as they giggled, contorted their body in laughs.

My 'rite of initiation' over, I guess they deemed me okay
Someone they could be comfortable with, with whom they could play
Lego blocks, a plastic elephant on wheels,
their superhero cards, and display of yo-yo 'skills'
amidst imaginary scenarios they created from out-of-blue
Wherein? Wherefore? I hadn't a clue!

God bless them children
so pure of heart
so brave, so happy, so sincere
(and yes, so oh-so-smart!) ;)
That as they grow may they not forget
this curious, wonderful innocence that they once had.

:)

[this is for Isaac and Sherlyn ^_^]