The New Be Careful 🕊️
By Abriya
It’s crazy how the meaning of “be careful” has changed.
I remember when those words were simple.
“Don’t run too fast, you might fall.”
“Watch where you’re going, you might scrape your knee.”
And the worst thing that could happen
was a little blood
And even if you do everything right,
sometimes that still isn’t enough.
Because you can mind your business
and still become somebody else’s tragedy.
You can have no enemies
and still lose your life to somebody else’s.
Back when “be careful” meant
don’t fall and scrape your knee.
Back when a Band-Aid
could fix the worst part of your day.
Because now,
there are wounds no Band-Aid can cover.
There are goodbyes no apology can undo.
You can be full of love,
full of dreams,
full of plans for tomorrow—
and never get the chance to see it.
That’s what scares me most.
Not the thought of dying someday,
but the thought of dying
just because I decided to live today.
And a night that was supposed to end
with pictures, laughter, and memories
ends with candles, flowers, and rest-in-peace posts.
We shouldn’t have to fear making memories.
We shouldn’t have to wonder
if the music we’re dancing to
will be the last song we ever hear.
Fighting battles with people
who don’t even know there’s a war.
Taking lives that had nothing to do
with the pain they were carrying.
And somehow,
the innocent are the ones paying the price.
A mother loses her child.
A child loses their parent.
A friend loses their other half.
laughing, dancing, making memories,
only for somebody else’s anger
to turn your happiest moment
into somebody’s worst nightmare.
And that’s the part that hurts.
Because when did having fun become dangerous?