Thaddeus J. Everly (1979-2004)

He needed a place to crash,
after too many shots of Ice 101
he said he'd be gone in a few hours,
and I believed him

He said he was Brazilian,
and he'd just gotten out of jail,
as he showed me the pictures
I believed him

He had a funky way of cooking,
and a quirky, hyperactive style
But he filled my days with laughter
and I believed him all the while

He told me I was raised right,
my innocence still intact,
that I was the intimate child,
so I believed him

He picked me up from work each day
for two weeks in a car without heat,
be he was always sweet,
and I believed him

He said she was an old friend of his,
with his arms wrapped around her waist,
he had called her on her cell phone
and I believed him, just in case

One day we went up north,
to pick his old friend up from prison,
frozen in a car with no heat and all blankets
and I believed him

We stopped at some house in Hardwick,
trying to procure gas money,
when they said it'd take half an hour,
and I believed him

That jail-bird violated parole,
and fell in love with my friend Liz,
but he wrote me two letters of optimism,
and I believed him

I still don't own a cell phone today
for a text message three months too late
when he said that everything was alright,
and foolishly believed him.