How thin are the lines we cross?

I knew a guy who was probably
dangerous, he had a way about him
that suggested mayhem – a sort of
calm intent, a resting need to act

I’m not sure how it came to be that
we were friends, but we were. I think
he connected us through my lack of
judgement, I didn’t assume the worst

I listened to my friend, it turns out he
wanted to be heard, and found a great
intelligence diverted into anger, the
lessons of the father became the son

I have made friends in passing with
people I don’t know now, they wanted
only that I understand that I had met them
on a path they couldn’t find a way to leave