Eggshells

He hatches only to realize his mistake...

I hatched, sooner then most-
Eager to shed my covering and enter the world.
And for a while I was happy.

The world has its joys-
Its pleasures and politics.
There's a game for everyone, even those who don't want to play...

And then I met you-
While everyone else was outside of their shells, trying to find their niche-
You were waiting, safe inside yours.

I thought you got extra points for rushing-
For destroying your shell and joining the rest of the world outside.
I never realized that there might be a different way of scoring things...

I saw you, and I knew that the system was flawed.
There is no reason to rush, shattering your shell
In your hurry to get outside for the games.

Your game was superior to mine, I saw-
Because it wasn't a game.

I started trying to gather up the pieces to my shell-
Slowly repairing my childhood-
My creativity, my purity, my innocence.

I've left a little hole, though-
(Broken parts don't fit together like they did before)
And I must have a way out.

I have to help you in your goal, I realized-
Becuase no one else will. They're preparing their battering rams-
Ready to assail your shell and end your life to win their games.

I can't let them beat you, not like that-
Because I know the truth-
You don't plan to stay there forever, far from it-

You are going to leave- when the time is right-
Because childhood cannot last forever.
They plan to prematurely end yours-

They are the ones who are stunted-
A bird is infinitely more beautiful then its egg-
Because its been given time to mature.

The rest of us, the ones conned into jumping overboard-
Know that you will end up more beautiful then any of us.
That is why they want to destroy you.

I know I can't be like you, in that way-
I've already ruined my shot at it.
But I can help you in your goal- and hope that when you do decide to hatch-

You might let me into your world first-
So we can hide there together for as long as we can.

Author's Note

I really like this one, and what it says...

I know I broke some stanza regularity... but... I'm not a big fan of "regularity" anyway :D