It's All Deep End

They gather 'round in tailored suits like it's a matinee Spectators of a tragedy with nothing much to say The boy stands on his pedestal not a hero not a king Just a child in red trunks on a stage where others sing And they whisper in the background "Will he soar or will he fall?" Cheering for the moment not really bothered at all It's all deep end with no life vest We dive in first and hope for the best They clap their hands and sip champagne While we sink or swim in life's charade He looks down at the water like a crystal ball of blue Reflecting back the faces that he'll one day answer to They're talking of his future like it's ink on fragile skin But the ink is still an outline waiting for him to begin And they whisper in the shadows "Will he sink or will he swim?" Placing bets on the outcomes with no stake in him It's all deep end with no dry ground We're pushed to jump while they stick around They sip their drinks and make their claims As we tread the water in this life-long game They'll write the headlines "Boy Makes the Leap" Never knowing what it took or what we keep A headline and a photo just a snapshot of the day But they won't see the ripples or how they fade away The boy takes a deep breath with a child's uncertain heart And leaps into the future not sure if it's the start The crowd leans in with interest but not a hand to lend They applaud the splash then turn their backs and off they go again It's all deep end the pool of life We're thrown to swim in joy or strife They stand and watch with a distant grin While we face the depths they just dip in So here's to all the swimmers who leap without a guide Into waters deep and endless where secrets often hide It's all deep end that's how it goes We're on display and no one knows It's all deep end so dive or wait In this quiet circus the silent weight It's all deep end It's all deep end