When you have decided to grow
They will cut you down
They will call you a weed in their garden
They will act as if you have taken the color from every petal
The life from every flower
And made their world brown and brittle
When you have decided to dance in the rain
And feel it wash away the hard times
Massage away your fears
They will tell you that you have caused a drought over them
They will tell you that you have let them die of thirst
Or they will complain about soggy shoes
When you venture into the dark
Because conquering is the one thing you can decide to do for yourself
They will say they are afraid
They will take your flashlight
And leave you on the path alone
Fumbling in the long, quiet night
They don't send a search party until morning
When you have decided to move on
To leave
And never look back
They will tell you
That you slashed their tires
And stole their keys
That you ripped apart their map
You are the reason they got lost in the first place
The secret about toxic friends
Is that they are never in the wrong
And you don't see it until you're on the outside
They call it 'human'
They call it 'reacting'
They call it whatever they need to
Because they are scared
Monsters don't like to be seen
That's why they hide in closets and under beds
That's why they are alone when you find them
Crocodile friends shed crocodile tears
And you help them
Because you were given that heart of yours for a reason
So go on
Grow tall and wild
Dance in the rain
Venture into the dark
Move on and never look back
The rest of us are out here too
And we are waiting for you