Growing Pains

'Aren't those people great?
Saving them from the street,
Giving a loving home,
To children left alone.'

A sudden change of schools,
A first list of rules,
Dragged from friends,
By stranger's hands.

We all learnt quickly to see,
How a family can appear to be,
Sweet and caring,
Though clueless to what they're rearing.

'Saving' lasted seldom,
We craved old freedom.       
And placed bets,
On whom the next family gets.

Most question why?
We don't want or try,
To break the chain,
Go with the grain.

Truth, we know it's not real,
They'll easily forget their deal,
If we cause enough stress,
They'll always return us.

Adults are liars,
Dreams are scars,
We refuse to cry,
Or tears have run dry?

We lived by a different rule,
And accepted life's cruel,
Intelligent meant street wise,
Lessons were black eyes.

Work experience was dealing,
Paying bills was stealing.
Art class was graffiti,
Our unspoken peace treaty.

We appear society's rejection,
But think our life's perfection,
The streets have a song,
And we were born to sing along.