My dear boy

My dear boy,
one day you will open your eyes
to carnage
on a tv screen
you believed was designed
for your entertainment.

You’ll remember the day
cartoons screamed
in joy
or sometimes in fear
how comical it was
then.

But someone switched the channel
and young as you are
you know
not all things are comical.

You’ll remember the scenes
and something inside of you
will forever be altered.

This
this is how
they steal your youth.

But you’ll notice
how they stayed silent.
As if carnage
could not affect
the tasks of the day.

My dear boy,
one day
you’ll notice
how they were
always
silent.

How masks
were worn
in your innocent presence.
You will be tempted
to create your own
as if by some fault of yours
you stepped into
this silent ball.

My dear boy,
remember the days
you laughed with the tv screen
animations
screaming joy
and how you let yourself
be joyful.
One day
let your yourself
be painful.

For one day
the channel will change
as will your world.
There will be pain
pouring through light waves
and you will have that mask
in your hand
as they tell you to be angry
to hate
to condemn.

Something inside of you
will stir.
A part of you
will surely
spill over.
Desperately
you may try
to hide the mess
you’ve made.

You will lift your
mask
to cover eyes
filling with moisture
so that you can be like them
angry
and silent.

My dear boy
I hope
it never reaches
your face
for it’s so easy
to put it on
but you will tear your skin
if the day comes
where you want
to let
yourself
breathe.

One day
you will need
to breathe.

How I hope
it never
reaches your
innocence.

Please,
don’t get all
dressed up
for this silent ball.

Stay home
dear boy,
And cry.
I hope you
cry
and learn
that more strength
is found
in your eyes
than
their masks.

Cry
dear boy,
for a world
that needs
your tears.

Show the world,
dear boy,
that pain
can go peacefully.
Let if flow through you
let it flow out of you.
Don’t hide it
in their violence.
And remember
some people
all they know
is violence.
Don’t blame them
for masks
put on
in their youth.
For this
this is how
their youth
was stolen.