There Was a Boy I Knew

there was a boy i knew who thought he had it all,
who walked off alone,
who thought he could live without anyone -
without someone there to pull him back into himself.

there was a boy i knew who carried a gun in the waistband of his jeans,
who thought he knew what the world had become,
who thought he could control it all;
could push everything so far away that he could walk past with ease.

there was a boy i knew who had a permanent dent in his heart,
who had a permanent scowl in the lines on his face,
who cried to himself when everyone was asleep.

there was a boy i knew who lost everything and nothing at all;

there was a boy who could barely hang on,
even though he pretended to.
there was a boy i knew.