"Thinking back on the corner"

It ruined many others lives,
Just as it ruined mine,
It brought me a joy I can't explain,
But even that ended in time,
It put clothes on my back for years,
And food into my mouth,
It also brought so many tears,
As my life died in the south,
As I grew it brought me material things,
Like clothes, cars and girls,
But if I knew the sorrow it would bring
My life wouldn't be in a swirl,
And I thought I could get over the pain,
With all the struggle and strife,
But know I feel like I was insane,
As it took my father's life,
But even now when I struggle for things,
I reminisce about the past,
And think of the joy that it would bring,
But how it would not last,
So now what will I tell my son,
When it comes into his life,
And he comes to me with sincerity,
To ask if it is right,
Do I tell him the joy it brings,
The women that come, the material things,
The money,the people, the glamourous ways,
Living glamourous nights and glamourous days,
But then I think can I live with my soul,
If I create a monster I cannot control,
And have my son live like there's no tomorrow,
For something that caused so much pain and sorrow,
And when I think about that I start to confine,
My thoughts of life with women and wine,
And when I have my son I must give him a line,
So he won't bury his father as I buried mine,
But I pride myself on my honesty,
To be with others as real as can be,
So when I am asked I will not lie,
I won't sugarcoat or nurture my reply,
I'll just let him know what it did to me,
Tell him about the sorrow he could not see,
And as he witnesses the pain in my eyes,
He will come to his senses and start to realize,
That this world is not the one for his life,
That he cannot handle the struggle and strife,
And put his energy towards something he can see
His high school diploma or college degree,
So every parent won't be as fortunate as me,
The pain it causes they will not see,
And when they are approached in the same way,
They probably will not know what to say,
But lead by example and they will see,
I didn't have that and look what happened to me
Nineteen years old with nothing left to learn,
Because my youth was taken by a wrong turn.