When we all were in elementary school

We were told “drugs are bad”

We could recite all their effects

We could tell you how they would kill

We could tell you what would happen

To your abused body

We were taught to say no

And that peer pressure isn’t “cool”

They never told us

Why people get addicted

Why people choose to put a

Chemical elation into their body

Nobody is stupid enough to not know

The effects.

They didn’t tell us how much life

Can push you towards substances

Like a bull barreling towards you

And your only escape looks like

Jumping off a cliff

They didn’t tell us what to do when

Our mothers come home drunk

On a Wednesday night.

They didn’t tell us what to do when

We felt like seaming our veins

They didn’t tell us what to do

When reality needs to just

Not exist for a few minutes

They didn’t tell us what to do when

We hated ourselves and could only escape

Through a high

They didn’t tell us how to escape

They taught us how to run