Are You Who You Are

[couchgrouch]

Are You Who You AreFinished some fights in my senior yearcame to class smellin' like beertill they sent me to a couns'ler during lunchat first I stared up at his plaqueshe told some jokes and when I relaxedsaid my grades'd been slippin' for monthsI said Dad made me join hoops and Lacrossthe pressure to win had me at a losshe said "I think drinkin's just a maskso lemme askare you who you areor are you just playin' a partare you really a fighter, a rowdy outsiderwith beer cans and knivesor are you a poet who's afraid to show ita doctor a paintercan you see who you wanna befor the remainder of your lifeyeah, look deep in your hearttell me...are you who you arecos plenty o' guys wish their office chairswere saddles on wild chestnut maresand they were ridin' past yellow roses and sageif a drive-thru gal messes your burger upit's only cos she was dreamin' ofsingin' out her soul on a spotlit stage"I thought how maybe my dadhoped I'd live the youth he never hadbut I couldn't be someone elseso I asked myself"are you who you areor are you just playin' a partare you really a fighter, a rowdy outsiderwith beer cans and knivesor are you a poet who's afraid to show ita doctor a paintercan you see who you wanna befor the remainder of your lifeyeah, look deep in your hearttell me...are you who you are"I was shocked how a strangersaw so clear inside of meright then and there knowing that couns'ler caredtold me what I had to beand now when kids in troublecome see me after classI tell corny jokes talk about their folksthen look 'em in the eye and ask"are you who you areor are you playin' a partare you who you are..."(c)2006 Robert George