The Trickster's Den

Family is a precious part of life.

No material possession, no amount of cash, no amount of pay should be able to revoke it. 
I grew up with my mother, and that shit was no joke. 
It was a bust part of my life, 
and I remember begging to be taken away. 
I wanted myself a knight to kidnap me in that freedom cabriolet. 
I think back on it and honestly I wouldn’t ask to be raised any other way, 
because those experiences made me stronger, 
made me who I am today. 
I love my mom, cause when it comes down to it that’s my DNA. 

And now for an interlude; 
when I was 16 my skies grayed and I found myself on the curb. 
Came home from school, 
was told to pack my shit and that I was no longer welcome to stay. 
Man I felt betrayed, 
this wasn’t how life was supposed to be, how it had been portrayed. 
Still, one man took me in, came to my side, listened to me. 
To this man I cried that I no longer had anything, 
but even more so that I had lost my best friend, 
a canine who always had an ear to lend. 
All those cold nights I would spend outside talking to him, 
and now I was at a dead end. 
This man understood the connection, 
the love. 
Understood that this canine was someone I’d grown to depend on. 
He tried getting him back for me, 
but my mother just didn’t comprehend how I could befriend a dog, 
so turned this man down and kept the poor creature penned. 
He was sad, 
knew the dog would have a lonely existence, 
then looked at me and saw that my sadness cut far deeper than capable of any knife. 

Yet… I started a new life, 
went to a new school, made new friends, lived poor for a bit. 
Remember legit living off of ramen like there was no other meal. 
See, being poor to me wasn’t that big a deal. 
I kept a smile, 
but that man wasn’t fooled. 
He had watched me grow, 
knew that behind that smile my mind was off in another zone. 
Knew I missed having someone to confide in, 
knew that inside I felt like I was dyin.  

Two months passed, then to me a puppy was shown. 
He knew this dog wasn’t a clone of the previous, 
but for some reason she instantly became attached to me, 
yet to everyone else she was straight up devious. 
I liked that though, she had spunk, 
had two sides but only to me was the kind one exposed.  
As if it was fate, I was no longer alone. 
I continued life, I was a good kid. 
Got good grades, didn’t party till a later age. 
See, me and Alcohol back then 
were on an entirely different page.
That shit was just not something of which I even felt a need to engage.  

Here I am today, I’m me.
I think back those times and it sends straight chills to my bone. 
I was never alone. 
Dad, you were there all along. 
Always with the support, always listening to me cry, 
I can only say I apologize for being so blind. 
Still to this day, you always got me on your mind. 
Still to this day, supporting me whenever I’m in a bind. 
I love you, I truly do. 
I appreciate all your time. 
Not appreciating you while I was younger, 
that’s my biggest crime. 
But hear me out, from here I can only climb. 
I’m well past the grime, now I can only shine. 
Thanks to you I have the will to rhyme.