Quietest Friend

Staving off rejection Which always hurt like hell I took the devil's bargain Made a stranger of myself If anything was wrong I couldn't tell So I didn't see it coming But now it's pretty clear I traded my own wisdom For a jury of my peers I ignored you for 30 years You don't have to tell me How hard it must have been For you to let me in Nothing lasts forever Now I understand I hurt you again My quietest friend Fifth grade in the lunchroom Fickle friends were telling jokes Making you the punchline Of some random thing I wrote They were looking to me To land the final blow Just to be included Went straight up to my head I thought the joke too stupid For it to matter what I said I was wrong But I went along with it You don't have to tell me How hard it must have been For you to let me in Nothing lasts forever Now I understand I hurt you again My quietest friend We could write me some reminders, I'd memorize them I could sing them to myself and whoever's listening I could put them on a record about my hometown Sitting here with pen and paper I'm listening now