by the age of seven

they say
it begins at birth,
until the age of seven.
if you
aren't getting the right
amount of love
and care by then,
you're pretty much doomed
to live a chaotic
existence
until you get some serious
help to straighten
things out.
you're screwed by
the angry father,
the ambivalent mother.
weigh down by their narcissism.
the self worth is chewed
up and spit out
by then.
they do a number on you.
they beat you down,
and you in turn
will do the same to others
who want you
in their lives. unattached
and distant, cold
and aloof,
causing havoc wherever
you go.