Perfection's Eye

                       
We each in our youth 
have Perfection's Eye 
gazing there for the Perfect One; 
reading faces passing by  
piling high our hopes and dreams.
Our Idealism glows. 

Youth fired by its very youth
see nothing but opportunity
dreaming as youths do
with that grand ignorant courage
which gives us civilizations bent.

Each generation it seems
new to the world
then proceeds
to do what us older ones
said couldn't  be done.
And they do it
I suspect
just to prove us wrong.

They do make things anew
until some of them
grievously harmed

swap youthful courage
for world-weary sophisticated cynicalness.
And thereby 
is 
civilizations loss
because cynics
don't build
Futures
only the Youth Do.