There was a boy bright and gay
Who loved the world around him
And the people in it
But they were hard to understand
He saw many very interesting things around him
Things like wood
And a lizard
Seemed simple enough
He found that turpentine
And water don’t mix
And if he aimed a shot a little higher than the target
Gravity would pull it back down
Once he learned about bullies
And how Apple Jacks
Don’t help much
Like the the ad said they would
He learned how to draw
A pastoral scene
With a crayon
And that he was afraid to die
That his anger can destroy things
He would rather not destroy
That some people are smarter than others
Others are fun, and quiet people can be interesting
Loud people can be perfectly boring
While entertaining themselves well enough
He was a free boy, free and go lucky
He came to know that he was blessed
People liked this boy
He had a good family and tested well
As he grew, his liberty met testosterone
And a sense of adventure resulted
With time on his hands
And only cursory accountability
He tried many forms of thrill
He danced at the edge of discretion
Sometimes stepping into the chasm
Thinking himself wise and cunning
He went on and on
He fancied himself a kind of revolutionary
A maverick who could pull at the frayed edges of society and yet mingle
This liberty so cherished was tarnished
Oxidized by abuse of the good will, albeit misplaced
Of those who loved him
A gift premature
Liberty once cherished now enslaved him
And became his bane
Like symbiotic bacteria out of balance
Results in a stinking mess
DMCXIV 