They Told Us

They told us that the world is a dark place,
full of cruel twists and turns.

Then, when we found ourselves out in the world,
we found that it is all of those things,
but also so much more.

They told us it was our job to bring light to the world.
They said this with threats behind their teeth,
and light donned on their faces.

They told us we were the only ones left.
They failed to mention
their definition of life was
not all that they claimed it was.

They taught us to question nothing,
and trust no one.
They claimed we were a blessing,
raised in a time of hardship and darkness.

They didn’t tell us that
they were the driving force behind that darkness.