They get you when you're young
"Lean on me, when you're not strong..."
They teach you to trust, to believe, to depend,
To hope.
They don't teach you what to do
When the shoulder you lean on pulls away
Goes cold
They don't tell you that sometimes
People don't care
Or that they'll stop
No one taught us that
At least, not with words
They did it with actions, or lack there of
With absences and apathy
Long silences
Empty hugs
Empty kisses
Hello, goodbye
The world is full of psychic people
But not the ones that matter.
"I'll help you carry on."
I'd like to stop that song
Find the kid singing it
Warn her.
Be careful who you lean on, child.
And always be ready to catch yourself
When they let you fall.
I'd like to stop her from becoming
The idealistic, naive optimist
She will be.
Until the illusions crack and tear
At the magic age of 18.
Child dreams don't last past adulthood.
You can't trust everybody.
You can't trust anybody.
Sometimes not even yourself.
(Though that's the safest bet you've got)
Be careful.
Don't lean on human beings.
They're really fragile things.
And they don't always care about you
The way you might.
Whatever you do, child, no matter what,
Don't ever love them.
Have some fun and laughs, yes
Hugs and kisses and long talks and stories,
Don't get attached.
Please, please don't.
It only hurts more when you figure out
That it's only one way.
That you don't matter much.
That you're just another toy, 2nd favorite (maybe)
Fun to play with, sure,
But tossed aside when it's all done.
Be careful.
It's no way to live,
For a idealistic optimist, but...
It will keep you safe
From heartache
And too many cloves
And bad poetry at 4AM.
