Parents don't realize
how much they shatter
their kids' self-esteem
by telling them to dress a certain way
behave a certain way
telling them they're useless
that they never get anything right
asking them why they can't do better than the kid next door
not listening when they speak
always expecting too much
and not realizing that all their kids want
is to make them proud
but they fail
again
and again
And one day
they will stop trying
and you will be left with nothing but a memory of them