1. When I was 

              
nine I learned

              
 survival, tau

              
ght myself not

     
 to care,
            
    I was my s

              
ingle good com

              
panion, taking

              
 my comfort th

 
ere.
             
    Up in my r

              
oom I planned 

    
my conquests,
             
    on my own,

            
 never asked f

             
or a helping h

        
and,
             
    no one wou

                      
ld understand.
             
    I never as

              
ked the pair w

            
ho fought belo

 
w,
              
    just in ca

            
se they said “

    -  –    
no”.

             
2. Pity the ch

              
ild who has am

              
bition, knows 

              
what he wants 

 
to do,
            
    knows that

              
 he'll never f

              
it the system 

              
others expect 

  
him to.
             
    Pity the c

              
hild who knew 

       
his parents,
             
    saw their 

              
faults, saw th

            
eir love die b

             
efore his eyes

   
,
             
    pity the c

              
hild that’s wi

       
se.
             
    He never a

              
sked, did I ca

              
use your distr

      
ess,
              
    just in ca

            
se they said “

    -       
yes”.

             
    When I was

              
 twelve my fat

          
her moved out,
              
    left with 

              
a whimper not 

           
with a shout.
             
    I didn't m

              
iss him, he ma

              
de it perfectl

      
y clear,
              
    I was a fo

              
ol, and probab

     
ly queer.
      
    Fool that 

I was, I thoug

ht this would 

bring
              
    those he h

             
ad left closer

           
 together.
     
    She made h

er move the mo

ment he crawle

d away,
              
    I was the 

          
last the woman

             
 told, she nev

          
er let her bed

     
 get cold,
              
    someone mo

          
ved in, I shut

     
 my door,
              
    someone to

          
 treat her jus

              
t the same way

        
 as before.

             
3. I took the 

              
road of least 

              
resistance, I 

              
had my game to

 
 play,
            
    I had the 

              
skill, and mor

              
e - the hunger

              
 - easy to get

 
 away.
             
    Pity the c

           
hild with no s

uch weapons,
             
    no defense

            
, no escape fr

             
om the ties th

   
at bind,
             
    always a s

          
tep behind.
             
    I never ca

              
lled to tell h

            
er all I'd don

e,
              
    I was only

        -  ~  -  – 
 her son.

             
4. Pity the ch

              
ild, but not f

              
orever, not if

              
 he stays that

  
 way,
            
    he can get

              
 all he ever w

              
anted, if he's

            
 prepared to p

ay.
             
    Pity inste

              
ad the careles

   
s mother,
             
    what she m

            
issed, what sh

             
e lost when sh

        
e let me go,
             
    and I wond

            
er, does she k

    - 
now ?
            
    I wouldn't

              
 call, a crazy

                    
 thing to do,
              
    just in ca

              
se she said,  

     -              +  -  -  -  
         who?