don't trust grown folks

I didn't trust adults- they were masks with promises that peeled off by morning. I learned young: smiles lie, "I'll be right back" doesn't mean they'll come back, and sometimes love hits harder than fists. So when teachers leaned in, when counselors softened their tone, I flinched. Every "we care about you" sounded like a setup. I trusted routines, not people. I trusted locked doors, not open arms. Because grown-ups broke me, then expected me to say thank you when someone else picked up the pieces.