Childhood tastes like sweet chocolate

And smells like salty air
Sounds of laughter and chatter fill the atmosphere
The touch of soft chalk and jump rope is indelible

on my small grimy hands
But when youth falters and souls mature
The chocolate is bitter
Dipped in agony 
The reverberation of ambiguous orchestras drown out the serenity
And suddenly     
The chalk crumbles
The jump rope tangles
Adolescence tastes like red-wine vinegar
Tantrums encroach
Like wildfires, spreading ominously
Into every decision made
And every path chosen
Innocence turns to ego
Anxious to rediscover the happiness
You once knew
Recognizing the only real enemy you have
Is yourself
And suddenly you're gasping for air
Through the jungle gym of memories
Of smiles so wide
And laughter so contagious you could get lost in it
Childhood may taste like sweet chocolate
But beware of the menu adolescence serves
Because appetites differ

And ingredients rot