when I was five years old
my memories, how they are cold
winter trips to the park
lying in bed, scared of the dark

when I was ten years old
I needed someone I could hold
just a crush, no romance
because I was afraid to dance

when I was fifteen years old
I had watched my life unfold
like a wolf without a pack
or a turtle on its back

when I was twenty years old
my stories were left untold
hiding in my private hell
like a turtle in its shell

when I was twenty-five years old
my sight not pretty, to behold
I reached for my pocket knife
cut some change into my life

when I was thirty years old
I saw a fool without the gold
the mirror still my only friend
five years closer to the end

if I manage to survive
soon I will be thirty-five
lots of candles and a cheer
my whole life, defined by fear