Not so special

My father always raised us
to be proud
never to cry when hurt
by those who would...
never to let them see your pain
he wanted us to be tough
in a hard world
if they touched you somewhere
within your self-defenses
don't let them know...
he wanted us to show the world
to grab it by the shirt tail
and never let go
wit and sarcasm are weapons
one can learn to use well
to guard against pain
sting them first...
it's as though he thought the world
was out to destroy us
and we had to use all the muscle
he could endow us with
then you find out some day
you're not so special after all
a connection...
we hadn't looked for

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