Self Portrait

I was a white looking kid from a small white town
With a Puerto Rican mom and I thought a lot about
How faded everyone around me was

I was a socialist and a shy little dude
I was playing Tupac in a Subaru
And I married the first girl I ever loved

And I’m not smooth and I’m not tough
But I thought I was

I was working summers at the ice cream place
And I ran from the cops on roller blades
And I heard my neighbor Joe shoot my dog

I was an afternoon poet on aim
Quoting Kerouac in my away messages
And I went looking for her one night in Joe’s backyard

And I’m never gonna wake Joe up
But I thought I was

I thought I’d be Ernesto Che
I'd dance like Michael and write like Jay
I said hey mama your son’s coming up
And I thought I was

So I went back to my hometown
My hat in my hand my head bowed down
I’m sorry to everyone for selling you short
I was hoping there’d be more