First Innocent Step

We, society, see a problem child, a kid that doesn't fit into our life.
A teenager who just intentionally sets about causing all the strife.
A kid who wreaks havoc in our streets at night - graffiti-ing walls,
vandalising state property, bashing innocents, stealing from malls.

We see a problem child, a kid that doesn't fit into our way of living.
Bright kids become somebody, but what are these rebels giving?
All we believe these kids are capable of is violence and demolition.
We don't expect much more from a teenager who has no vision...

Well, just take a second just to think about it, about what we see..
We see a problem child, with no hope, only death do we foresee..
We see a kid who started but quit, cause he didn't get his own way.
We see a child on the street, handcuffed and being taken away...

A mother sees het beautiful child, his first innoceny step into life;
She sees him growing into a man, struggling to stay out of strife.
She sees a young man who has tried all his life to be someone..
A boy who couldn't fight the impossible; or life's constant shun...

A mother sees her boy, and remembers his first innocent step...
She remembers his struggle, his toil of trying to become adept..
Trying to prove to society that he wasn't bad, that he'd succeed..
She remembers his frustration, when he tried, but couldn't read..

A mother saw her child trying to be better, to succeed at living...
She saw her boy try to become something, to be the one giving..
But what is anyone to do, when people shun the determination..?
Saw her boy, go from trying, to quitting as was the expectation...

While society sees a troubled teenage boy, a problem child in life,
A mother sees his first innocent step into the expectation of strife..

By A.Sherden
03/10/09