After a while you learn the subtle difference
between holding a hand and chaining a soul.
And you learn that love doesn't mean leaning
and company isn't security.
(Kisses aren't contracts and presents aren't promises.)
After awhile you begin to accept your defeats
with your head up and your eyes open,
with the grace of a adult, not the grief of a child.
And you learn to build your roads on today
because tomorrow's ground is too uncertain for plans.
You learn that your future has a way of crumbling in mid-flight.
After a while you learn that even sunshine burns
if you get too much.
So, you plant your own garden and decorate your own soul
instead of waiting for someone else to b