Rose Colored Glasses

When I was 5, I liked to color outside the lines,

And eat chocolate chip cookies when I wasn’t supposed to.

But I would see my parents yell and fight,

My mommy had tears pouring like a waterfall.

But I would put on my glasses,

And she didn’t have purple splotches under her eyes,

And she was smiling again,

And everything was alright.

When I was 12, the door would slam,

And I would stop reading.

My big brother would stomp in and glare at me,

I would see the little dark dots on his veins.

But I would put on my glasses,

My brother would tickle me and hug me,

And gone was the pain,

And gone was the anger,

And everything was alright.

When I was 17, I dyed my blonde hair black,

And I only had two friends,

But they were good friends,

Even though one tried her hardest to be thin,

And the other had cuts on his wrists,

Because he liked other boys.

But I would put on my glasses,

And they were happy,

And I was happy,

And everything was alright.

When I was 21, I dropped out of college,

I painted for a living.

And I didn’t have a lot of money,

I had to pay for my brother’s funeral,

Because my parents wouldn’t do it.

But I would not put on my glasses,

And I saw the horror,

And I saw the agony,

But everything was still alright.