The summer heat holds me today,
As I stroll and ponder my life.
The leaves are colorful as children play,
Living lives that are barren of strife.

My feet slap against the sidewalk,
Clouds roll across the blue sky.
The concrete is covered in chalk,
Birds squawk in the air as they fly.

Not all lives of children are without mayhem,
Shadows passing over even the littlest hearts.
These innocent little people are condemned
Before their lives even begin to start.

The human nature is a curious one.
Our emotions range from pure to despicable,
Some people having none,
It can be complex or predictable.

I learned many lessons as a child,
I watched a man drive his fist into my mother,
Lived a life that was so wild,
As my brother and I clung to each other.

I learned to fear alcohol as if it were alive,
Fear the drinker whose lips the poison passed through.
Years later I am picking up the pieces, as I strive,
To feel less sky blue.