None of you know
What life is all about,
Nor do you know
True optimism—

Being hopeful in the midst of despair,
Steadfast in the face of adversity.

Witnessing all sorts of evils,
Acknowledging them fully,
And still managing to find
The goodness in humanity,
Purity in a world so dirty.

You’re all a bunch of fickle fools.

You embraced your youth
Yet had it squashed at the same time.

I was one of you—
And I still am.
But I haven’t lost sight
Of who I am
And who I hope to become.

Have you?