a jaded kind of beautiful

my mother always told me when i was a little girl to only keep walking on the safe side of the streets. she would walk beside me and guide me to the farthest side of the pavement, just so there’s no chance of me getting run over or smothered by the smoke of vehicles or whatever reason she never told me. i must have been an ungrateful child to choose to meet you, to choose to know you. because you never wanted me safe.

you would push me to the middle of the road and make me laugh despite everything, foolish and brash and fearless.