Father Figures

I grew up, 

learning that there was more to life, 

than sitting down watching sonic on saturday nights. 

I grew up, 

at the age of 10,

when father thought he should play pretend,

so now he's a ghost stuck inside my head.

I grew up, 

when my step father took a bus and left, 

before my brother was born,

and we had to lie and tell him that his father was dead. 

I grew up, 

the day I started school and the teacher asked about my parents, 

and I had to tell the classroom I had a parent. 

I grew up, 

when it grew apparent that there would never be anyone on the other end, 

to catch the ball I threw at them. 

I grew up, 

and then I grew some more.