Without a Doubt

You can’t pretend to know things just because you think you do
You found it easy to believe because someone else told you to
You admired the wrong person but you didn’t have a clue
He sounded smart so that was good enough for you

Once upon a time
I had all the lines
With no hesitation
Just articulation
From a boy who knew nothing
Yet never had a doubt

You met another man with his hair on fire and your mind turned
He lived his life without apology and courage was what you learned
But he never would compromise and this became your concern
You were afraid and walked from the fire while your convictions burned

Once upon a time
I blew my mind
With new information
And a revelation
The boy who knew something
Now lived with the doubt

You started a family and moved to suburban street
You figured someone else would stand up and take the heat
Life always works itself out while you meet and greet
A protest is something to read about while you prop up your feet

Once upon a time
I emptied my mind
Of presumption
And perception
The boy who knew nothing
Learned to live with the doubt

Now you teach your children about life and not to be naive
But they made mistakes because a stranger had something up his sleeve
You try to tell them life is not always about what they perceive
But a charlatan knows how to bait a hook and make you believe

Once upon a time
I opened my mind
For the children
And the questions
The boy who knew something
Taught them how to doubt