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