I Can't

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" I can't."
A phrase
Drummed into
The consciousness,
The unconsciousness
Of man by
Those who’s sole
Intention was
To protect,
But in reality
They robbed.

In children,
They rob them
Of the desire
To explore
Both themselves
And their world.
A world filled
With secrets
To be discovered
By young
And eager minds.

In teens,
The words,
“I can’t,”
Rob then of
Life’s skills like
Interacting with peers,
Understanding their bodies,
Learning what they want,
What they need
From relationships
With the opposite sex.
Even though they
Rebel, in their minds
What they “can’t” do
Is still wrong,
Still taboo.

By the time,
They become adults,
“I can’t”
Are not words spoken
By others, they are
Words spoken
By themselves
To themselves.

By the time,
They become adults,
They don’t see
The differences
Between the things
That will hurt them
And the things
That will liberate them.

So hardwired
Are they, the adults,
That they continue
The cycle of saying
“Can’t” to a new
Generation of people.

“I can’t
Deal with you right now.”

“You can’t
Go there or there with them.”

“We can’t…..”
“You can’t….”
“I can’t….”

But truly,
My friends,
Can’t we?