The fraternity party was coming up Friday
Tom had dreams that would not go away
Images of tragedy and all his plans undone
He just wanted to relax and have some fun
Wednesday, Tom phoned his dad for advice
Is everything okay son, concern in his voice
Am I doing the right thing joining a fraternity
What if something goes wrong at the party
Son, I was in a fraternity years ago in college
Initiation jitters will cause you to be on edge
I am sure everything will work out just fine
If they do not pressure you to cross any line
Thanks, dad, I feel better now that I called you
I really appreciate all your confidence in me too
Tom did not want him to worry about his dreams
Probably a fantasy without merit, or so it seemed
The night of the fraternity party had finally come
Tom and his roommates looked around the room
Other guys, just like them, appeared to be afraid
What did his dad mean by the last words he said
The leader of the fraternity welcomed everyone
Then laid out all of the ground rules one by one
It will not be easy to join the brotherhood tonight
Endurance and stamina will determine your plight
Tom had watched as others were given their test
It was his turn to see if he would pass like the rest
He prepared himself in the best way he knew how
Whatever it was, he determined to do it somehow
In dim light, he was to walk across a narrow ledge
It was fifteen feet down if he tumbled off the edge
He also had to chug down from a hand-held keg
Keeping his balance was like walking on eggs
Suddenly he knew that he had lost his footing
He was in midair with his whole body spiraling
The grass was getting closer and then thud
He blanked out as he landed, hitting his head
