Your Little Boy - written 7/8/09

For James

You said you took a lot of beatings
when you were young
but you weren't a bad kid

Well I wasn't either
but I took a lot of shit
I believed it when I was told
I was selfish, rude, irresponsible

Now I know
They were calling me
All the things they believed
about themselves
and when they punished me
they were punishing themselves

I asked too many questions
I noticed too much
I used to go on the roof
and cry
until they blamed me
for the leaks

Where did you go
to be alone?
I know you had a place
I can picture you
tears welling in your brown eyes
before falling down your freckled face

I just want to send my little girl
to give that little boy a hug
we would have been fast friends
We could have protected each other
from the world
We were so fragile
so young
If only we'd had each other then
who knows what we would have become