The Suffering You Knew

The hallways are empty, the playground is still
but the schoolboy inside me can't leave here until
I've said to some children what's long overdue
I'm sorry for all of the suffering you knew

Words were our weapons, and pain was our tool
and for no certain reasons we treated you cruel
I guess that I seek your forgiveness because
I'm still so ashamed of the boy that I was

The younger the mind, the weaker the will
I kept searching my peers for a space I could fill
I did what they wanted, took part in their sins
it's frightening what children will do to fit in

But now we're all older with kids of our own
and they say names can't hurt them like stick or like stones
If I only could teach them compassion and truth
cause words hurt the worst in the years of your youth

The hallways are empty, the playground is still
but the schoolboy inside me can't leave here until
I've said to some children what's long overdue
I'm sorry for all of the suffering you knew