when I was young 

I wanted to write 

I thought I could inspire people 

to be different 

bigger, better 

to sail calm through stormy weather 

to lock arms with their family 

and plant their feet 

tree to tree

take a stand against ...

But that's just it 

I was too young to know the enemy 

was me 

because I was already hacked 

already ate too much sugar 

and watched too much TV 

about who I should be 

Plots that didn't make sense 

that told me I was just fine the way I was 

But how could that have been true ? 

I was a child

I was innocent ( ignorant )

That shit stunted my growth 

taught me to avoid what was painful 

uncomfortable

inconvenient 

All the stuff that makes us better 

that makes us understand each other 

sympathy, empathy 

these things we called growing pains 

hardships we're meant to sustain

Because our bones were too little to fit all the truth 

we clung to our youth