Remember the age of innocence?
Nine years old and invincible
we were ready to take on the world
with best friends by our sides
and a road ahead so unknown,
so treacherous yet so inviting.
Where siblings were our own worst enemies
yet the only hurts we ever knew
were the skinned knees
from bike crashes and the numerous trips
we took throughout those leaf strewn falls.
To think we wanted to grow up so badly…

You see, innocence faded like our happy thoughts
we turned from lollipops to cigarettes to worse,
just to keep us high.
cuz let’s face it, the swing set wasn’t cutting it anymore
And heads-up took on a whole new meaning
when liquor was introduced
The innocent were tossed to the wolves.
****** turned to g-strings,
kisses turned into seven minutes in heaven,
and most of us struggled with the concept of protection.
helmets covered different kind of heads
and cooties weren’t something to run from anymore
they were something we begged for

Yet, now we’re grown
best friends are strangers,
and race issues are more than who made it to the finish line
wars more than a card game
and cough medicine is the go to drug when money’s too tight
to think we wanted to grow up so badly…