The Buried Inner Child

They say, a mind is a terrible thing to waste,
but the mind will go away.
The soul is the only thing that stays.

So often do we sharpen the mind
but lose the soul to a world
which makes us forget who we are,
that we lose control over the inner child—

the inner child,
buried beneath shovelfuls of life,
each layer of dirt pressing it further from the light,
still screaming, begging for release.

Buried away by the life we sometimes live.
As we are fighting so hard just to survive,
it’s no wonder we turn to drugs in its various forms.
That we use just to get through the day,
to make it all okay.

I am not just talking about the coffee days and whiskey nights
but the junkies on the streets and in the labs.
The ones that code triathletes all day and code all night.
I mean for society these are better than others that come to mind,
but they still tear down the soul and child inside
that just wants to be free, laugh and love.

Screaming “help me, I want to be seen,“
but are seldomly ever heard over the swarm like their own.

There are some that manage to break free,
living quietly in this unknown world.
Experiencing life in the solitude of their home,
connecting to their own.

But I wouldn’t know.
I am trapped in the latter,
I know only wanting my words to flow
but getting trapped in the rat race of working all day,
caffeinating all day to keep me awake.
Coding all night trying to bring something great to light,
ending my days with shots of whiskey to make it feel alright.
Go to sleep and back up again with the same ole plight.

Philosophical Reflection

This poem captures the existential tension between our authentic selves and the survival mechanisms we develop in modern society. The “inner child” serves as a metaphor for our natural state of wonder, creativity, and joy—qualities that often get buried under the pressures of adult responsibilities.

The imagery of “shovelfuls of life” suggests that each compromise, each day spent in survival mode rather than thriving mode, adds another layer of separation from our true selves. The poem doesn’t judge the coping mechanisms (coffee, work, even coding) but recognizes them as symptoms of a deeper disconnection.

Questions for Contemplation

• What does your “inner child” represent to you?
• How do you distinguish between necessary survival and soul-crushing compromise?
• What would it mean to “break free” in your current circumstances?
• How can we honor both our need for security and our need for authenticity?

Related Philosophical Concepts

• Authenticity (Existentialism): Living in accordance with one’s true self
• Alienation (Marx): Disconnection from one’s essential nature through work
• Bad Faith (Sartre): Self-deception about our freedom and responsibility
• The They-Self (Heidegger): Losing oneself in social conformity