When Nothing Else Mattered

A Prose Poem on Life

Photo by Xavi Cabrera on Unsplash

When I was little,
I looked up at Dad
during one of our happy strolls.
He smiled down at me
with caring eyes and joy,
and nothing else mattered.

I dived into the coolest pool I had seen
and was so deeply excited
by the soothing water on my skin
that nothing else mattered.

I created worlds out of anything
one could imagine-
paper, sticks, stones, pens,
and even perfume-rolling balls-
and watched the day go by so fast
since nothing else mattered.

I memorized every little detail
of places I passed by:
colors, smells, textures.
I can still remember how the ground felt
underneath my tiny shoes.

I looked at everything around me
with eyes of wonder,
genuine interest, and curiosity.
And when doing so,
nothing else mattered.