Escape – Ryan's Song
I ran away when I was four.
Didn't get very far –
Trey found me after half an hour,
sitting behind my bike
in the garage.
I didn't know where to go . . .
. . . or how.
Four's too young to try and escape.
I ran away when I was seven.
Didn't get very far –
I slept over at Teresa's
and Mom came to pick me up
next morning before school.
I found somewhere to go . . .
. . . but not to stay.
Seven's too young to try and escape.
I ran away when I was nine.
Didn't get very far –
I spent two nights in the school gym,
but then got hungry
and went back home.
I didn't know how to survive
once I'd run.
Nine's too young to try and escape.
I ran away when I was twelve.
Didn't get very far –
Mom phoned school
after four days sleeping rough,
they made me go back.
I wasn't old enough
to live alone . . . they said.
Twelve's too young to try and escape.
I ran away when I was thirteen.
Didn't get very far –
I stole my brother's car
and got caught after a week
crossing the state line.
I couldn't steal something
and expect to get away with it.
Thirteen's too young to try and escape.
I ran away when I was sixteen.
Didn't get very far –
I couldn't run fast enough,
and the police caught me
ten feet away from the car.
I didn't know how
I got to be there anyway.
Sixteen's too young to try and escape.
I found a home when I was sixteen.
I've come so far since then –
No need to escape any drugs,
arguments, bad situations.
I've found love, a real family.
I don't need to learn
how to live or survive.
Is sixteen too old to start over again?
