We're all here to learn

When I was little and couldn't sleep
But wasn't allowed to creep or peep
Downstairs to see the adult folks
To join in the laughter and the jokes
But had to stay in bed instead
While fun sounds echoed in my head
I learned to hug my gray bear tight
To deal with the sorrows of the night
To hear him agree with all I said
To follow my thoughts wherever they led,
The promises whispered to the bear
That we would vow never to share
With adults on the floor below
Because they had no right to know.

As time has flown, some other bears
Have suffered through my list of cares
And shared the secrets of my heart
And whatever else I might impart
To furry ears knowing full well
The secret's safe: they'd never tell.

In retrospect a downside, too,
A countervailing point of view:
By "bearying" my secret life
I made it harder for my wife
To understand some of my acts
Which did not tally with the facts.
For buttons pushed should not result
In instant rage in an adult.
Those buttons labeled "DISAPPROVE"
When pushed are antidotes to love
And, pushed enough, the bonds will break
And love is something you can't fake.

The sad thing is, it's taken years
To learn the Secret of the Bears:
That there are other buttons, too
And most of us have quite a few.
Some are labeled "Love" and "Truth"
(Though they were there all through my youth
They seemed difficult to find
Much moreso than the other kind).

Now ones marked "Listen" and "Understand"
Are closer to my outstretched hand,
And since they know I've found the cure,
The bears are happier, I'm sure.