“Before You Judge”

He was twelve years old with a grown man pain

Momma cried quiet dad just yelled his name

Cold nights couch floors learned to stay alert

Learned real quick how the world can hurt

School said trouble but they never asked why

He just stared back with them tired eyes

First punch thrown just to feel some control

First time he learned how to harden his soul

You ever wonder what it’s like

To wake up already tired of the fight

Judge a man by the scars you see

But you never lived his nights

You talk like life was fair to you

Like love never lied or left you bruised

Before you point and say he’s wrong

Ask yourself what it’s like to be him

He fell in love with a girl who smiled like peace

Thought maybe finally the hurt would ease

Promised forever under streetlight vows

But forever don’t mean much to people now

She left him bleeding with a phone that rang

Heard her laugh in another man’s name

He drank it down tried to drown the shame

Swore he’d never feel that pain again

You ever wonder what it’s like

To give your heart just to lose your life

To trust someone with everything

Then watch it burn in flames

You say move on like it’s easy to do

Like memories don’t live inside you

Before you tell him he’s too weak

Ask yourself what it’s like to be him

He found God on a cold church bench

Hands shaking asking for forgiveness

Read them pages looking for a sign

That broken men still get a second time

Tried to be better tried to be calm

Still felt ghosts every time he slept alone

Love came back wearing a different face

Same lies different name same mistakes

You ever wonder what it’s like

To keep forgiving just to survive

To love so hard it costs your mind

But you still don’t walk away

You call him stupid call him blind

But you never loved with his kind of fire

Before you say he should’ve known

Ask yourself what it’s like to be him

Now he’s older with kids that need him strong

Smiles for them when everything feels wrong

Carries weight they’ll never see

Tries to break chains that were handed to me

You ever wonder what it’s like

To hold it together one more night

To be the man they all depend on

While you’re falling inside

So next time you judge that man in the street

Or that quiet guy who don’t say much to speak

Remember pain don’t look the same

And you don’t know what it’s like