Little Innocence

Every time I read it, is such a delight:



who were so dark of heart they might not speak,   
a little innocence will make them sing;   
teach them to see who could not learn to look   
--from the reality of all nothing  

will actually lift a luminous whole;  
turn sheer despairing to most perfect gay*,  
nowhere to here, never to beautiful:  
a little innocence creates a day.  

And something thought or done or wished without  
a little innocence, although it were  
as red as terror and as green as fate,  
greyly shall fall and dully disappear-- 

but the proud power of himself death immense  
is not so as a little innocence  
  
E. E. Cummings

Gay* the term was originally used to refer to feelings of being "carefree", "happy", or "bright and showy"